South Korea’s President Said He Is "Very Sorry" For Declaring Martial Law But Did Not Get Impeached
The two-minute address was Yoon's first public appearance since he shocked the nation by declaring martial law on the evening of Dec. 3 to eliminate what he said was "anti-state" forces.
South Korea's president Yoon Suk Yeol has apologized for declaring martial law, saying he is "very sorry" and would not avoid any legal or political responsibility.
“There will never be a second declaration of martial law. I leave it up to my party to take steps to stabilize the political situation in future, including the issue of my term in office," he said in a televised speech on Saturday, Dec. 7, before proceeding to bow.
The two-minute address was Yoon's first public appearance since he shocked the nation by declaring martial law on the evening of Dec. 3 to eliminate what he said was "anti-state" forces.
He called opposition parties “shameless pro-North Korean anti-state forces who are plundering the freedom and happiness of our citizens", accusing them of trying to "overthrow the free democracy".
The move, which analysts say was made out of political desperation, was quickly overturned by the parliament, which voted to lift martial law hours later.
In the days following, Yoon has faced increasing pressure to resign, with tens of thousands of people taking to the streets of Seoul to demand he is ousted.
Hours after his apology, lawmakers met to vote on a bill put forward by the opposition to impeach Yoon.
However, the bill failed to pass after the majority of the members of Yoon's party decided to boycott the vote.
As such, the parliament did not have the minimum number of lawmakers required for the vote to be valid.
However, the main opposition Democratic party has said it will propose a new impeachment bill on Dec. 11, to be put forward to a vote on Dec. 14.
Meanwhile, nearly 150,000 protesters gathered outside the building to support Yoon's removal, and demonstrations are expected to continue.
Kassy Cho
Isha Jain
