South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol addressed the public for the first time after the martial law decision declared by him and repealed after 6 hours. Yoon, who said in his speech broadcast on television that he declared martial law out of desperation as the head of state, said, “However, this decision caused anxiety and discomfort in the public.” Emphasizing that he was “deeply saddened” by what happened, Yoon said, “I sincerely apologize for causing the public concern.”
“I WILL NOT AVOID RESPONSIBILITY”
Declaring that he was ready to take responsibility for the decision he made, Yoon said, “I will not escape any legal or political responsibility regarding the martial law decision.” Addressing rumors that a second martial law will be declared, Yoon said, “There will never be a second martial law.” Stating that he will entrust the task of stabilizing the future of the country, including his own term, to the People’s Power Party (PPP), Yoon concluded his speech with the words, “I apologize once again for the concerns I have caused our people.”
It was noteworthy that Yoon made his first speech after the martial law decision that caused the political crisis, just before the “dismissal” vote to be held in the National Assembly today.
VOTING WILL BE DONE TODAY
According to the news of the South Korean agency Yonhap, the session in which the proposal will be discussed in the National Assembly will start at 17.00 local time (11.00 Turkish lira).
The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) and 5 smaller opposition parties submitted a motion to the parliament to dismiss the president on the grounds that Yoon’s declaration of martial law was against the constitution and laws.
In order for the proposal to be accepted, a vote in favor of 200 deputies, which constitutes 2/3 of the total number of members of the parliament, is required. The opposition bloc, which has 192 out of 300 seats in the National Assembly, needs the support of at least 8 deputies from the ruling People’s Power Party (PPP) to ensure a qualified majority.
It is not yet clear whether the opposition will be able to pass the proposal through the parliament, as it is unclear whether it will receive the support of the ruling party for the decision.
Yoon, who appeared in public today for the first time since the declaration of martial law, which was quickly lifted by the vote of the parliament, apologized to the South Korean people in his speech on television and stated that he left the decision regarding him to the ruling party before the impeachment vote in the parliament.
WHAT HAPPENED IN SOUTH KOREA?
President Yoon Suk Yeol, in his televised speech on the night of December 3, declared martial law on the grounds that “the opposition was involved in anti-state activities”, but he took a step back after the parliament voted to lift the decision and then it was approved by the Council of Ministers.
Yoon accused the opposition of “obstructing the government from functioning” and argued that martial law “aims to eliminate pro-North Korean forces and protect the constitutional order of freedom.”
Following the declaration of martial law, the Ministry of Defense instructed the commanders in the army to meet and called for vigilance. On the other hand, it was reported that soldiers assigned as “martial law troops” entered the National Assembly.
The motion to lift the martial law decision in the emergency session held in the National Assembly was accepted with the votes of 190 deputies. The Office of the President of the National Assembly announced that martial law became “nullified” after the vote.
Thereupon, Yoon gathered the Council of Ministers and announced that he had ended martial law after the approval of the cabinet.
On December 5, Yoon accepted the resignation of Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who suggested him to declare martial law.
Source: AA-IHA