SEOUL: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday denounced his political adversaries as “anti-state forces,” accused North Korea of election interference through hacking, and defended his brief imposition of martial law as a necessary measure to protect democracy.
Yoon’s remarks came amid impeachment calls from Han Dong-hoon, the leader of his own People Power Party (PPP), who criticized the president for refusing to step down. A second parliamentary impeachment vote is scheduled for Saturday, following a failed attempt last week when many ruling party members abstained.
During a televised address, Yoon vowed to “fight to the end.” He is under criminal investigation for alleged insurrection related to his December 3 martial law declaration, which ignited South Korea’s most severe political crisis in decades. Lawmakers broke through police barricades, with some scaling fences, to demand an immediate reversal of the order.
Yoon defended his decision, asserting that “criminal groups” threatening the rule of law and state governance must be stopped from taking power. He claimed North Korea had hacked the National Election Commission last year, but the agency allegedly refused to cooperate with investigations or strengthen security. Yoon suggested this refusal cast doubt on the integrity of the upcoming April 2024 elections, justifying his martial law decision.
The PPP suffered a major loss in April’s election, giving the opposition Democratic Party a commanding majority in the National Assembly. However, to pass the impeachment motion, at least eight PPP lawmakers must support it.
Earlier Thursday, PPP leader Han urged party members to back the impeachment, insisting Yoon must be removed from office.
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