Days after apologizing for declaring martial law, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol gave a defiant speech on Thursday, Dec. 12. Yoon vowed to “fight to the end,” despite mounting criticism and efforts to impeach him coming from opposition parties, as well as some in his own party.
Yoon doubled down on his criticism of the opposition Democratic Party, which he used to justify declaring martial law earlier this month.
In Thursday’s speech, Yoon called his martial law declaration “a warning” to members of the opposition.
Prior to Yoon’s declaration, the Democratic Party and Yoon’s more conservative People Power Party had clashed over several political disputes, including a budget battle and investigations into allegations of corruption surrounding Yoon and his wife.
South Korean law allows a president to declare martial law in times of war or national emergency. However, no leader has done so since 1979, when a military dictatorship ruled the country. As such, the opposition, plus some members of Yoon’s party, say his declaration violated the constitution.
The first effort in the country’s National Assembly to impeach Yoon failed after most of his party voted to block impeachment efforts, preventing it from reaching the requisite two-thirds majority.
Police have been investigating whether Yoon’s actions amount to insurrection, a crime for which he could be arrested. Leaders of an insurrection can face life imprisonment or potentially the death penalty.
Yoon says his actions were just part of governance and that he can’t be charged with insurrection.