S.Korea President Yoon says ‘sincerely sorry’ for imposing martial law, pledges no more such attempts
Seoul: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Saturday that he is “sincerely sorry” over causing public concerns for declaring martial law earlier this week, while pledging not to make another such attempt again.
“I am sincerely sorry and apologise to the people who must have been very surprised,” Yoon said in a televised public address, hours ahead of a parliamentary vote on an impeachment motion against him, Yonhap news agency reported.
Yoon made the remark in his first public appearance after he declared martial law on Tuesday night and rescinded it six hours later after the National Assembly voted against it.
He said he imposed martial law due to “desperation” as President but acknowledged the abrupt decision caused “concerns and inconvenience” to the people.
“I will not avoid legal and political responsibility related to this martial law declaration,” he said, vowing to leave all decisions, including his term, to his People Power Party in order to stabilise the nation.
Yoon was elected in May 2022 to a single, five-year term.
South Korean lawmakers are set to vote later Saturday on impeaching President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived attempt to impose martial law, as protests grew nationwide calling for his removal.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the motion submitted by opposition lawmakers would get the two-thirds majority required for Yoon to be impeached.
But it appeared more likely after the leader of Yoon’s own party on Friday called for suspending his constitutional powers, describing him as unfit to hold the office and capable of taking more extreme action, including renewed attempts to impose martial law.
The president is facing growing pressure to step down after he shocked the nation by imposing martial law to root out “anti-state forces,” accusing the opposition of paralyzing the government functions with impeachment motions and the proposed budget cut.
The opposition bloc, which together holds 192 seats in the 300-member National Assembly, is set to vote on his impeachment motion at around 5 p.m. The motion requires at least eight votes from the ruling party, which holds 108 seats.
Following the two-minute address, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, reiterated his call for Yoon’s immediate resignation or impeachment.
PPP leader Han Dong-hoon also questioned Yoon’s ability to govern, saying his early resignation is “unavoidable”.