ISTANBUL/KARACHI, Pakistan
At the final hearing of his impeachment trial Tuesday, South Korea’s detained President Yoon Suk Yeol defended his Dec. 3 short-lived martial law, insisting that its “purpose has been largely achieved.”
In his 40-minute closing statement before an eight-judge Constitutional Court in the capital Seoul, Yoon vowed to pursue constitutional amendments once he returns to work, according to the Yonhap news agency.
“When I return to work, I will focus on constitutional amendments … I will not dwell on the remaining term,” he said, announcing his intent to revise the current constitutional system established through the 1987 direct presidential election amendment.
Yoon once again apologized to the people, saying: “Martial law was for the country and the people, but I sincerely apologize for causing confusion and inconvenience to the precious people in the process.”
Earlier, his legal team, in its closing statement, insisted that the botched declaration was an “inevitable choice.”
Attorney Lee Dong-chan of the presidential delegation called for the dismissal of the impeachment, saying that the martial law declaration was an “inevitable choice for the president in response to the opposition party’s outrage.”
He added that Yoon declared martial law “in order to inform the people of the current situation regarding the ‘one-party dictatorship fascism’ actions of anti-state forces attempting to seize control of society, paralyze judicial affairs, and tyrannize the legislature.”
The National Assembly, which is the prosecution in the case, demanded Yoon’s removal from office over the imposition of martial law during its final arguments before the Constitutional Court.
The National Assembly’s impeachment motion against Yoon accuses the president of violating the Constitution and laws by declaring martial law in the absence of a national emergency and ignoring due procedures.
Under the constitution, the Constitutional Court must decide whether to remove or reinstate Yoon within 180 days after his impeachment by the National Assembly.
The National Assembly voted overwhelmingly to remove Yoon from office on Dec.14.
The court is expected to deliver its judgment in mid-March.
If six of the eight judges uphold the impeachment, there will be a snap presidential election within the next 60 days.
Whereas, if at least three of the eight judges overturn the impeachment, Yoon will immediately be reinstated.
Nearly 4,000 supporters of the impeached president gathered outside the court building, with some holding signs that read “Stop the Steal,” echoing US President Donald Trump’s debunked claims of election rigging in the 2020 election, and “Freedom is Not Free.”
At a news conference, members of a pro-Yoon group stated they had submitted a petition with 190,000 signatures opposing the impeachment.
