South Korea's Yoon defends martial law decree as an act of governance

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol defended his decision to declare martial law in an address to the nation, denying charges of insurrection. He claimed that the opposition-controlled parliament was destroying the country’s democratic order. Amid political turmoil and pressure from officials and protesters, the main opposition party filed a second impeachment motion. Yoon justified his actions as an “emergency measure” to restore order and warned the public about the crisis, emphasizing that it was different from past martial law decrees under military dictators. He stated that his deployment of troops to the National Assembly was symbolic and not intended to block lawmakers’ entry.

Full Article