On Thursday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol labeled his political opponents as “anti-state forces,” accused North Korea of hacking the country’s elections, and defended his brief martial law declaration as a necessary step to protect democracy.
Yoon’s comments came amid calls for his impeachment from the leader of his own People Power Party (PPP), who noted that the president showed no intent to step down. Yoon faces a second impeachment vote on Saturday, following a failed attempt last week when most ruling party members abstained.
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In a televised address, Yoon vowed to “fight to the end” amid a criminal investigation into his martial law declaration on December 3, which sparked South Korea’s most significant political crisis in decades.
Yoon defended his actions, stating that “criminal groups” undermining state affairs must be stopped, and accused North Korea of hacking the National Election Commission, which allegedly refused to cooperate in securing its systems.
He claimed this refusal raised doubts about the legitimacy of the April 2024 elections, justifying his martial law order. Despite a heavy defeat for the PPP in the April elections, the opposition needs at least eight PPP members to pass the impeachment motion.
