By Yoonjung Seo, SEOUL South Korea
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has apologized to the nation in his first public comments since his abortive attempt to impose martial law threw the country into political chaos and led to calls for his impeachment.
“This emergency martial law declaration stemmed from my desperation as the ultimate responsible party for state affairs,” Yoon said in a two-minute address.
“I am deeply sorry and sincerely apologize to the citizens who must have been greatly shocked,” Yoon said, acknowledging that he “caused anxiety and inconvenience” to South Korean citizens.
Yoon, who is expected to face an impeachment vote in parliament this weekend, said he “will not avoid the legal and political responsibility related to this martial law declaration.”
The furor began late Tuesday night, when Yoon declared martial law in an unannounced television address, accusing the main opposition party of sympathizing with North Korea and of “anti-state activities.” He cited a motion by the Democratic Party, which has a majority in parliament, to impeach top prosecutors and reject a government budget proposal.
Yet within just six hours, the leader was forced to back down, after lawmakers forced their way past soldiers into parliament to unanimously strike down the decree.
Addressing rumors on Saturday that martial law will be invoked again, Yoon said “there will absolutely be no second attempt at a constitutional amendment.”
“I will entrust my party with methods to stabilize the political situation, including the remainder of my term… I apologize to the citizens for the concerns I have caused,” Yoon concluded as he stepped off the podium and bowed.
The declaration of a military emergency, although short-lived, was met with shock and anger across the country, which remains deeply scarred by the brutality of martial law imposed during decades of military dictatorship before it won a long, bloody fight for democracy in the 1980s.
Pressure on Yoon has mounted in the days since, with protesters and opposition figures demanding his impeachment – and support wavering even within his own party and the military.
The leader of the ruling party said after Yoon’s address that the president’s resignation is now inevitable.
Speaking to reporters, Han Dong-hoon, chief of Yoon’s own People Power Party, said it was “impossible for the president to carry on his normal duties,” adding that his “early resignation is inevitable.”
On Friday, Han said Yoon needed to be immediately suspended from duty to protect the country from “grave danger,” in a dramatic reversal of opinion that compounds the pressure building on the president ahead of an impeachment vote in parliament.
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