SEOUL: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol lashed out at his political opponents as “anti-state forces” on Thursday (Dec 12), stated North Korea violated the nation’s elections and defended the nation’s short-lived martial legislation final week as a authorized act. transfer to guard democracy.
His feedback got here because the chief of Yoon’s social gathering stated the president has proven no indicators of resigning and should be impeached.
He faces a second impeachment vote in parliament scheduled for Saturday, per week after the primary failed as a result of a lot of the ruling social gathering boycotted the vote.
“I’ll struggle to the tip,” he stated close to the tip of a protracted televised speech.
Yoon stated the opposition had pushed the nation right into a “nationwide disaster.”
“The National Assembly, dominated by the big opposition social gathering, has grow to be a monster that destroys the constitutional order of liberal democracy,” he stated.
In feedback that echoed his justification for declaring the state of emergency within the first place, he stated that “felony teams” which have paralyzed state affairs and disrupted the rule of legislation should be prevented in any respect prices from taking on authorities management.
Yoon stated the nation’s National Election Commission was attacked by North Korea final yr, however the impartial company refused to cooperate with an investigation and inspection of its system to safeguard integrity.
He stated the refusal was sufficient to boost doubts in regards to the integrity of the April 2024 election and led him to declare martial legislation.
Yoon’s People Power Party (PPP) suffered a crushing defeat in April’s elections, permitting the Democratic Party overwhelming management of the single-chamber meeting. Even so, the opposition wants eight PPP members to vote with them for the president to be impeached.
“I apologize once more to the individuals who will need to have been shocked and anxious due to the martial legislation,” Yoon stated.
“Please belief me in my heat loyalty to the individuals.”
He added that he “is not going to shirk authorized and political accountability relating to the declaration of martial legislation.”
Shortly earlier than Yoon’s televised speech, PPP chief Han Dong-hoon stated that Yoon wanted to be stripped of energy and that the one strategy to obtain that is for the social gathering to assist the impeachment invoice.
Han urged social gathering members to attend the assembly and vote “in accordance with their conviction and conscience.”
Democratic Party lawmaker Jo Seung-lae informed AFP that Saturday’s impeachment vote will happen at round 5pm native time (4pm Singapore time).
