South Korea’s Yoon Blames ‘Malicious’ Opposition for Martial Law Bid

Photo : Reuters

South Korea’s suspended President, Yoon Suk Yeol, caused a big problem when he declared martial law on December 3. This action stopped normal rules and sent soldiers into the parliament. But the soldiers didn’t stay long. The opposition members of parliament (MPs) fought back, and within six hours, they voted against martial law. Later, Yoon was impeached because of what he did.

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Yoon became the first South Korean president to be arrested while in office. He was detained in mid-January on charges of insurrection. This means he was accused of trying to harm the country’s government. Now, Yoon is taken from prison to court hearings where a group of judges will decide if his impeachment will stand. If his impeachment is confirmed, South Korea will hold a new election in less than two months.

In a court hearing on Tuesday, Yoon blamed the opposition for his decision to declare martial law. He said that when they refused to give him applause or shake his hand, they were showing their plan to destroy his government. He said, “Even if they don’t like me, they should have listened to me and given me a round of applause for my speech in parliament.”

Yoon said that when he gave his speech, there were very few people in the room because the opposition didn’t want to hear him. He felt this was an attack on him and his government. Yoon said the opposition did not show respect by turning away when he spoke and refusing to shake his hand.

When Yoon declared martial law, he called the opposition "anti-state elements" and said martial law was needed to protect the country’s laws and order. But many people disagreed, saying he broke the rules by using martial law for personal reasons, not because of a real national emergency.

The next court hearing will happen on Thursday and is expected to be the last one before the judges decide what will happen. If they agree to impeach him, a new election will happen quickly. Yoon is also facing serious charges of insurrection, which could send him to prison or even lead to the death penalty. The country is waiting to see what will happen next.