S Korea’s Yoon apologises for martial law crisis as impeachment vote looms

Just hours before a scheduled impeachment vote, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol publicly apologized for his attempted impose martial law this week but chose not to step down. He defied widespread pressure to do so, even from some in his own party.

Yoon declared in a televised address to the nation on Saturday that he would not attempt to avoid being held legally and politically responsible for declaring South Korea to be a first country to be declared martial there since 1980.

He said his decision was born of “desperation”.

Yoon apologized and said, “I’m very sorry and would like to sincerely apologize to the shocked people.” He added that there would be no further attempts.

After finishing his brief remarks in front of the South Korean flag and bowing, he said, “I leave it up to my party to take steps to stabilize the political situation in the future, including the issue of my term in office.”

The embattled leader’s first public appearance since reversing the martial law order on Wednesday, just six hours after it was declared, and after parliament defied an armed military raid and police cordons to vote against the decree, which forced the president to revoke his order.

After the speech, Han Dong-hoon, the leader of Yoon’s People Power Party, claimed that the president’s resignation was now necessary because he was no longer able to carry out his public duties.

On Friday, Han claimed Yoon should be removed from power because he was a threat to the nation. On Saturday, Han met with the country’s Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to discuss the crisis, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported.

Under the constitution, if Yoon resigns or is impeached then the prime minister, who was appointed by Yoon, becomes South Korea’s acting president.

The constitution mandates a presidential election within 60 days of Yoon’s resignation if his one-year term expires in May 2027.

Lawmakers are scheduled to vote at 5pm local time (08: 00 GMT) on the main opposition Democratic Party’s motion to impeach Yoon. The motion will be retaken on Wednesday, according to opposition leaders.

In addition to pursuing charges of insurrection and abuse of power, the police and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials have launched investigations into Yoon and senior officials involved in the martial law decree.

The president’s shock announcement late on Tuesday night, which reportedly gave the military sweeping emergency powers to combat unspecified threats from “North Korean communist forces” and “to eradicate the shameless pro-North antistate forces,” is still pricking many South Koreans.

Yoon claimed that in order to impose martial law on the government, opposition members in the National Assembly must have done so in order to defuse an unprecedented number of impeachments against members of his administration, effectively paralysing key government functions, and handling the budget in a way that undermined the government’s fundamental duties, including public safety.