South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has denied allegations that he ordered military personnel to forcibly remove lawmakers from the National Assembly during last month’s martial law declaration. At his impeachment trial, Yoon claimed that special forces soldiers sent to the legislature on December 3 were not intended to disable the assembly or prevent it from blocking his plans.
Yoon stated that parliament and media hold more power than the president in South Korea, citing a potential crisis if he had tried to enforce martial law. His lawyers argued that his declaration was meant to address opposition abuses by the Democratic Party, but they acknowledged it would not have been executed due to conflicting laws.
The Constitutional Court is now deciding whether to uphold Yoon’s impeachment, which requires a two-thirds majority vote from lawmakers. If the court rules against him, he will lose the presidency and an election will be held within 60 days. The trial could last months, even if President Yoon skips the hearings.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/21/korea-president-yoon-martial-law