South Korean President Says Martial Law Was An Act Of Governance And Denies Rebellion Charges | rssama.com

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s president defended his martial rule decree arsenic an enactment of governance and denied rebellion charges Thursday, rejecting nan opposition-led impeachment attempts against him and investigations into past week’s move.

Yoon Suk Yeol’s televised connection came hours earlier nan main wide guidance Democratic Party submits a caller impeachment mobility against Yoon. The guidance statement plans to put nan mobility connected a level ballot this Saturday.

Its earlier effort to impeach Yoon fell done past Saturday, pinch ruling statement lawmakers boycotting a ballot astatine nan National Assembly.

Yoon’s Dec. 3 martial rule declaration, nan first of its benignant successful much than 40 years successful South Korea, has generated governmental chaos and ample protests calling for his ouster. The decree brought hundreds of equipped troops attempting to encircle parliament and raiding nan predetermination commission, though nary awesome unit aliases injuries occurred, and he was forced to assistance it about six hours later.

“I will conflict to nan end, to forestall nan forces and criminal groups that person been responsible for paralyzing nan country’s authorities and disrupting nan nation’s law bid from threatening nan early of nan Republic of Korea,” Yoon said.

Yoon, a conservative, said his martial rule preamble was meant to rumor a informing to nan main wide guidance Democratic Party, which he said has been paralyzing authorities affairs and destroying nan country’s law order. He said nan deployment of little than 300 soldiers to nan National Assembly was designed to support order, not dissolving aliases paralyzing it.

Yoon called nan Democratic Party “a monster” and “anti-state forces,” which he said many times tried to usage its legislative musculus to impeach apical officials, undermine authorities fund bills and sympathize pinch North Korea.

“The guidance is now doing a weapon creation of chaos, claiming that nan declaration of martial rule constitutes to an enactment of rebellion. But was it really?” Yoon said.

Yoon said his martial rule decree was an enactment of governance that cannot beryllium nan taxable of investigations and doesn’t magnitude to rebellion.

A tv surface displays a news study featuring South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol astatine Seoul Station successful Seoul, South Korea, connected Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024. Yoon said he would conflict until nan past infinitesimal to take sides himself aft accusing nan guidance of trying to paralyze his administration. Yoon's defiant Thursday greeting reside came arsenic nan main of his ain statement called for his impeachment. Photographer: Jean Chung/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Bloomberg via Getty Images

It’s unclear really Yoon’s connection would impact his fate. Earlier Thursday, nan leader of his ain blimpish party, Han Dong-hun, said Yoon was making it clear he had nary willingness to measurement down voluntarily and called for statement members to ballot successful favour of his impeachment astatine nan upcoming National Assembly vote.

Opposition parties and galore experts opportunity nan martial rule decree was unconstitutional. They opportunity a president is by rule allowed to state martial rule only during wartime aliases akin emergency situations, but South Korea wasn’t successful specified a predicament. They reason that deploying troops to seal nan National Assembly to suspend its governmental activities amounted to rebellion because nan constitution doesn’t let a president to usage nan subject to suspend parliament successful immoderate situation.

Yoon’s connection was seen arsenic an about-face from his erstwhile position. Last Saturday, Yoon apologized complete nan martial rule decree, saying that he won’t debar ineligible aliases governmental work for it. He said he would time off it to his statement to floor plan a people done nan country’s governmental turmoil, “including matters related to my word successful office.”

On Wednesday, Yoon’s agency resisted a constabulary effort to hunt nan compound.

The main attraction of nan investigation is uncovering whether Yoon and different apical subject and authorities officials progressive successful imposing martial rule committed rebellion. A condemnation for rebellion carries a maximum punishment of death.

Earlier this week, Yoon’s erstwhile defense curate was arrested connected allegations of playing a cardinal domiciled successful a rebellion and committing maltreatment of power. He became nan first personification formally arrested complete nan martial rule decree.

Kim Yong Hyun, 1 of Yoon’s adjacent associates, has been accused of recommending martial rule to Yoon and sending troops to nan National Assembly to artifact lawmakers from voting connected it. Enough lawmakers yet managed to participate a parliament enclosure and they unanimously rejected Yoon’s decree, forcing nan Cabinet to lift it earlier daybreak connected Dec. 4.

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South KoreaYoon Suk YeolNational Assembly