Seoul, Jan 23: South Korean investigators asked prosecutors to indict the country’s detained President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived imposition of martial law last month, as it accused him of rebellion, abuse of power and obstruction of parliament on Thursday.
Yoon defended his actions again as he appeared at a court hearing for the second time Thursday, saying the December 3 martial law decree was only meant to inform the public of the danger of an opposition-controlled National Assembly.
He argued the martial law imposition ended early because he quickly withdrew troops after the assembly voted down his decree.
“The reason for the declaration of martial law wasn’t about a warning to the opposition. I was trying to appeal to the people to draw their strict supervision and criticism of the opposition,” Yoon told a hearing at the Constitutional Court.
“No matter how many warnings I would issue to the opposition, they would have been useless.”
Yoon was impeached and suspended by the assembly on December 14. The Constitutional Court is now deliberating to determine whether to formally throw Yoon out of office or reinstate him. Appearing at the same hearing, Yoon’s defense minister at the time of the martial law enforcement, Kim Yong Hyun, supported the president’s argument, saying that he drew up the decree and proposed it to Yoon. (AP)
