South Korean Yoon Suk Yeol defiant after impeachment under martial law

“FIGHT TO THE END”

The impeachment motion was passed as at least 12 members of Yoon’s People Power Party joined the opposition parties, which control 192 seats in the 300-member National Assembly, crossing the required two-thirds threshold.

The number of lawmakers supporting the impeachment was 204, with 85 against, three abstentions and eight invalid ballots.

The political crisis has led to disarray within the ruling party, with leader Han Dong-hoon ignoring calls to resign after backing the ouster as “inevitable to normalize the situation.”

Yoon shocked the nation on December 3 when he gave the military sweeping emergency powers to root out what he called “anti-state forces” and overcome obstructive political opponents.

Barely six hours later, he withdrew the statement after parliament defied troops and police to vote against the decree. But it plunged the country into a constitutional crisis and led to widespread calls for him to resign on the grounds that he had broken the law.

Yoon later apologized but defended his decision and resisted calls to resign.

Opposition parties launched a new impeachment vote, supported by large demonstrations.

Yoon is also under criminal investigation for alleged rebellion over the declaration of martial law, and authorities have banned him from traveling abroad.

In another defiant speech on Thursday, Yoon vowed to “fight to the end,” defending his martial law decree as necessary to break the political deadlock and protect the country from domestic politicians he says are destroying democracy undermined.