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S Korea's President Yoon vows to 'fight to the end'

12 December 2024 09:15 (UTC +04:00)

Embattled South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has defended his shock decision to declare martial law last week, saying he did it to protect the country's democracy, APA reports citing BBC.

In a surprise televised address on Thursday, he said the attempt was a legal decision to "prevent the collapse" of democracy and counter the opposition's "parliamentary dictatorship".

And despite growing calls for him to resign or be impeached, Yoon has suggested that he would not step down.

"I will stand firm whether I'm impeached or investigated," he said. "I will fight to the end".

The president and his allies are currently facing investigations on insurrection charges, and a travel ban has been slapped on several of them.

But Yoon has denied that his martial law order was an act of insurrection, claiming that his political rivals were now creating "false incitement" to bring him down.

In his address, his first since his apology on Saturday, he repeated many of the same arguments that he used on the night he declared martial law: that the opposition was dangerous, and that by seizing control, he had been trying to protect the public and defend democracy.

However, Yoon added that he would not avoid his "legal and political responsibilities".