President Yoon Suk-yeol on Feb. 25 defended his decision to declare emergency martial law, calling it a necessary response to what he described as a national crisis. His remarks came during the final hearing of his impeachment trial at South Korea’s Constitutional Court.
“The declaration of emergency martial law was a plea for the public to recognize the country’s dire situation and work together to overcome it,” Yoon said. “It was never a personal choice.”
He emphasized that the measure was a legitimate presidential decision, rejecting the opposition-led National Assembly’s claim that it amounted to an unconstitutional coup. If reinstated, he pledged to focus on national unity.
“If I return to office, I will work to bring the nation together and strengthen national cohesion,” he said.
Yoon arrived at the court at 9:03 p.m. for the 11th impeachment hearing, wearing a dark navy suit and a red tie. His hair was combed back in his usual style, though slightly disheveled in the front. As the judges entered, he stood, bowed, and took his seat. When Acting Chief Justice Moon Hyung-bae called on him to speak, Yoon walked to the podium holding a black file folder in his right hand.
Throughout his remarks, he alternated between reading his prepared statement and addressing the judges directly, spending much of his speech defending the legitimacy of his emergency declaration.
“The Dec. 3 martial law was an appeal to the people,” Yoon said. “I could no longer ignore the existential crisis facing this country.”
He argued that the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), which holds a parliamentary majority, had pushed the nation into crisis through legislative overreach.
“I wanted the people to recognize the DPK’s anti-state actions and take a stand against them,” he said.
Yoon criticized the DPK’s legislative efforts, particularly its attempts to curb the National Intelligence Service’s counterespionage authority and its proposal to repeal the National Security Act.
“The opposition is stripping our intelligence agencies of their ability to counter espionage while other countries are strengthening their security laws,” he said. “China, for example, enforces strict anti-espionage laws that allow it to detain foreign nationals over a single photograph.”
He also accused the DPK of undermining national defense by cutting military funding.
“They claim to have reduced only 0.65% of the total budget,” Yoon said. “But eliminating key capabilities and calling it a minor adjustment is like taking out both eyes and insisting it’s just a small change.”
He argued that these developments constituted a national crisis requiring emergency measures.
“The country was heading toward disaster, like a frog in slowly boiling water,” he said. “Unlike previous crises, this was a systemic threat to the survival of our nation.”
Yoon accused the opposition of abusing its legislative majority to paralyze the government, citing its impeachment of multiple prosecutors investigating corruption allegations against DPK leader Lee Jae-myung.
“The opposition has engaged in impeachment for political protection,” Yoon said. “They are using ‘tactical impeachment’ and ‘shielding impeachment’ to undermine the rule of law.”
Before Yoon’s remarks, his legal representatives also defended the legitimacy of the martial law declaration. Attorney Kim Gye-ri argued that it was a necessary response to what she described as the opposition’s overreach.
“The declaration was meant to alert the public to the state of affairs,” Kim said. “I, too, was enlightened by President Yoon’s decision.”
