South Korea’s impeached President, Yoon Suk Yeol, is set to present his defense regarding his controversial declaration of martial law earlier this month.
According to his lawyer, Seok Dong-hyeon, Yoon is prepared to make his arguments during ongoing legal proceedings while urging for a streamlined approach to the overlapping investigations being conducted by various authorities.On December 3, Yoon, a former prosecutor, unexpectedly declared martial law during a late-night televised address, citing undisclosed concerns.
The declaration was swiftly retracted hours later after severe backlash from lawmakers and the public, who unanimously condemned the move. Critics have described the declaration as a significant overreach of presidential authority.The impeachment, initiated by parliament and supported by public outrage, has prompted concurrent investigations by prosecutors, the police, and anti-corruption bodies.
The case is now before South Korea’s Constitutional Court, which has up to six months to determine whether to uphold the impeachment. Seok, a close ally of Yoon, emphasized that the former president would fully cooperate with the legal process while defending his actions.
