Yoon Suk-yeol smiles whereas talking to his legal professionals through the ultimate listening to of his trial on the Seoul Central District Courtroom on fees of orchestrating an revolt, held on Jan. 13, 2026. (courtesy of the Seoul Central District Courtroom)
Yoon Suk-yeol issued no apology for his surprising declaration of martial legislation on Dec. 3, 2024, through the ultimate listening to of his trial on fees of orchestrating an revolt, as a substitute sustaining the specious argument that his actions had been a cautionary measure he was compelled to take as a result of “wickedness of anti-state forces.”
Tuesday’s listening to started at 9:30 am in a courtroom of the Seoul Central District Courtroom and lasted till after midnight, with Yoon starting his ultimate assertion at 12:11 am on Wednesday.
“I introduced the beginning [of martial law] in a broadcast to your complete nation and world, and inside two hours, the Nationwide Meeting informed me to cease, and I did. Is that an revolt?” Yoon requested the courtroom. “Troops deployed with empty weapons with no bullets. Have you ever ever seen such an revolt?”
Yoon’s ultimate assertion to the courtroom was a reprise of the argument he made throughout his impeachment trial earlier than the Constitutional Courtroom, the place he claimed that his declaration of martial legislation was a plea to the general public.
Whereas standing trial for the final 12 months, each concerning his impeachment and his abortive martial legislation declaration, Yoon remained adamant that his actions had been justified.
The previous president as soon as once more argued that he had no selection however to declare martial legislation to alert the general public to the gravity of alleged election-rigging by the Nationwide Election Fee in a state of affairs the place the opposition Democratic Occasion, with its overwhelming majority within the Nationwide Meeting, blocked his insurance policies and initiatives, slashed his budgets, and was impeaching folks left and proper.
Yoon accused the Democratic Occasion of forming an “unconstitutional legislative dictatorship.”
“They need to utterly overturn the nation’s standing as a liberal democracy, as a part of the worldwide free market system, and as an ally of the free world. They’re making an attempt to overthrow the system,” he argued earlier than the courtroom.
When criticizing the particular counsel, Yoon’s tone turned even rougher. Yoon described the particular counsel probe into the martial legislation disaster as “performing a deranged battle dance typical of a political purge and suppression,” and likened it to a “pack of wolves ferociously swarming in for the kill on the Democratic Occasion’s sign.”
“They accuse me of making an attempt to put in a long-term dictatorship by martial legislation. Why didn’t they inform me beforehand, in order that I may be taught from them?” Yoon stated whereas evident on the prosecution.
After the particular counsel requested the demise penalty for Yoon, the previous president’s face visibly reddened. Yoon learn a press release he’d ready, taking round 90 minutes. His voice was husky, and his forehead typically furrowed.
By Oh Yeon-seo, workers reporter; Park Ji-young, workers reporter
Please direct questions or feedback to [english@hani.co.kr]
