S korea president yoon defends martial law vows to ‘fight to end’

S korea president yoon defends martial law vows to ‘fight to end’

Main Opposition Democratic Party criticised the President’s televised speech as ‘extreme delusion’ and submitted a new impeachment motion against him; authorities are investigating if Yoon and others committed rebellion or abuse of power

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol defended his martial law decree as an act of governance and denied rebellion charges, vowing on Thursday to “fight to the end” in response to attempts to impeach him and intensifying investigations into last week’s dramatic move.

The main Opposition Democratic Party quickly slammed Mr. Yoon’s speech as “an expression of extreme delusion” and “false propaganda”. Later on, Thursday, it and other Opposition parties submitted a new impeachment motion against Mr. Yoon for a floor vote this weekend.

The Opposition-controlled Parliament also passed motions on Thursday to impeach and suspend Mr. Yoon’s police chief and Justice Minister over the imposition of martial law, escalating the pressure on Mr. Yoon’s embattled government.

Mr. Yoon’s short-lived December 3 martial law declaration has generated political chaos and large protests calling for his ouster.

The decree brought hundreds of armed troops who attempted to encircle Parliament and raid the election commission, though no major violence or injuries occurred. Martial law lasted only six hours as Mr. Yoon was forced to lift it after the National Assembly unanimously voted it down.

In a televised speech on Thursday, Mr. Yoon, a conservative, said he enacted martial law as a warning to the liberal Democratic Party. He called the party “a monster” and “anti-state forces” that he said tried to use its legislative muscle to impeach top officials, undermined the government’s Budget Bill for next year and sympathised with North Korea.

Kim Min-seok, head of a Democratic Party task force, dismissed Mr. Yoon’s statement as “an expression of extreme delusion” and “a declaration of war against the people”.

The country’s law enforcement authorities are investigating whether Mr. Yoon and others involved in imposing martial law committed rebellion, abuse of power and other crimes. A conviction for rebellion carries a maximum penalty of death.