South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol vows to ‘fight to the end’

assaulted The President of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol has defended his shock decision to declare martial law last week, saying he did it to protect the country’s democracy.

In a surprise televised speech on Thursday, he said the attempt was a legal decision to “prevent the collapse” of democracy. and counteract the “parliamentary dictatorship” of the opposition.

Yoon has suggested he would not resign before a second impeachment vote in parliament on Saturday.

“I will stand firm whether I am impeached or investigated,” he said. “I will fight to the end.”

The president and his allies face off investigations on sedition charges, and several of them have been banned from leaving South Korea.

On Thursday, the opposition-led parliament voted to impeach Police Chief Cho Ji-ho and Justice Minister Park Sung-jae. The two officials have been suspended immediately.

Unlike impeachment motions against presidents, which require 200 votes in the 300-member National Assembly, other officials can be removed with 150 votes.

To your address, the first from yours sorry for the weekendYoon denied that his martial order was an act of insurrection, claiming that his political rivals were creating “false incitement” to bring him down.

Yoon repeated many of the same arguments he used the night he declared martial law: that the opposition was dangerous and that by taking control he had been trying to protect the public and defend democracy.

However, Yoon added that he would not shirk his “legal and political responsibilities.”

last weekend, an attempt by opposition lawmakers to impeach the president failed after members of his own People’s Power Party (PPP) boycotted the vote. But opposition members will hold another impeachment vote this weekend and have vowed to hold one every Saturday until Yoon is removed from office.

PPP leader Choo Kyung-ho resigned after the failed impeachment attempt, and on Thursday the party chose Kwon Seong-dong, a Yoon loyalist, as his replacement.

Kwon told reporters Thursday that he would hold discussions with PPP lawmakers on whether they should continue to oppose Yoon’s impeachment.

Yoon’s party hoped to convince the president to step down early, rather than force him.

Minutes before Yoon spoke, his party leader, Han Dong-hoon, appeared on television to say it was clear that the president was not going to step aside. Han urged party members to vote to remove him from office this Saturday.

If South Korea’s parliament passes an impeachment bill, a constitutional court would hold a trial. Two-thirds of that court would have to hold a majority for Yoon to be permanently removed from office.

Yoon has been a lame-duck president since the opposition won April’s general election in a landslide: His government has been unable to pass the laws it wanted and has been reduced to vetoing bills proposed by the opposition.

Yoon also accused North Korean sympathizers of trying to undermine his government when he declared martial law on December 3.

the ad plunged the country into political crisis. Protesters clashed with security forces outside the National Assembly building as lawmakers scrambled to vote against Yoon’s order.

Yoon withdrew his martial law hours after it was blocked by lawmakers.

Since then, the country has remained on edge. There have been large protests and strikes calling for Yoon’s impeachment, and the presidential office was attacked on Wednesday as Yoon faces multiple investigations on charges of insurrection and treason.

Meanwhile, former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who resigned and took responsibility for martial law, tried to kill himself while in custody on Tuesday. He is in stable condition.