Yoon pledges to fight political opponents till the end

South Korean President claims election hacking, defends martial law, and lashes out at "anti-state forces”


Reuters December 12, 2024
People watch a TV screen, broadcasting South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol delivering an address to the nation, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, on December 12, 2024. Photo REUTERS

SEOUL:

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday criticised his political opponents as "anti-state forces," accused North Korea of hacking the country's elections, and defended his brief declaration of martial law as a legal measure to safeguard democracy.

Yoon's remarks coincided with calls for his impeachment by the leader of his own People Power Party (PPP), who stated the president had shown no intention of resigning. Yoon is facing a second parliamentary impeachment vote on Saturday, following a failed attempt last week when most ruling party members boycotted the vote.

During a televised address, Yoon pledged to "fight to the end." He is under criminal investigation for alleged insurrection related to the 3 December martial law declaration, which triggered South Korea’s most severe political crisis in decades. Lawmakers broke through police barriers, with some scaling fences, to demand the immediate rescission of the martial law order.

Yoon defended his actions, claiming that "criminal groups" undermining state affairs and the rule of law must be prevented from seizing power. He alleged that North Korea hacked the National Election Commission last year but claimed the independent agency refused to cooperate in investigating and securing its systems. Yoon argued that this refusal raised doubts about the integrity of the April 2024 elections and justified his martial law declaration.

The PPP suffered a heavy defeat in the April election, granting the Democratic Party dominant control of the National Assembly. However, the opposition requires support from at least eight PPP members to pass the impeachment bill.

Ahead of Yoon's address, PPP leader Han Dong-hoon asserted that the president must be removed from office, urging party members to back the impeachment motion.

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