South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has vowed to fight “until the very last minute,” defending his surprise decision last week to impose martial law and deploy troops to the country’s parliament.
The South Korean leader has been restricted from overseas travel as part of an investigation into his inner circle over the dramatic events of December 3-4, which surprised Seoul’s friends and plunged the country into some of its greatest political crisis in years.
In a televised address, Yoon said “I will fight with the people until the very last minute,” adding that he would “not avoid legal and political responsibility regarding the declaration of martial law.”
The address came hours before the main liberal opposition Democratic Party submits a new impeachment motion against Yoon.
The opposition party plans to put the motion on a floor vote this Saturday.
The motion needs to win support from eight members of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) to secure the necessary two-thirds majority.
South Korea’s capital has been rocked by daily protests since last week, with thousands gathering to demand Yoon’s resignation.
Prison authorities said former defense minister Kim Yong-Hyun tried to kill himself shortly before his formal arrest the previous day.
Kim, who is accused of urging Yoon to impose martial law, was first detained Sunday, and later formally arrested on charges of “engaging in critical duties during an insurrection” and “abuse of authority to obstruct the exercise of rights.”
The justice ministry and a prison official said he was in good health on Wednesday.
The former interior minister and the general in charge of the martial law operation are also barred from foreign travel. Two senior police officials were also arrested early Wednesday.
But Yoon on Thursday remained defiant, accusing the opposition of having pushed the country into a “national crisis.”
