SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday lashed out at his political opponents as “anti-state forces”, stated North Korea has hacked the nation’s elections and defended his short-lived martial legislation order as a authorized transfer to guard democracy.
His feedback on Thursday got here because the chief of Yoon’s personal celebration stated the president had proven no indicators of resigning and should be impeached.
He faces a second impeachment vote in parliament anticipated on Saturday, per week after the primary one failed as a result of a lot of the ruling celebration boycotted the vote.
“I will fight to the end,” he stated close to the tip of a prolonged tackle broadcast on tv.
Yoon is beneath prison investigation for alleged revolt over the botched Dec. 3 martial legislation declaration, which sparked the most important political disaster in South Korea in a long time.
Lawmakers broke by way of a police cordon, some by scaling the fence, to enter parliament and demand Yoon to rescind martial legislation inside hours of the declaration.
In feedback that echoed his justification for declaring emergency rule within the first place, he stated the “criminal groups” which have paralysed state affairs and disrupted the rule of legislation should be stopped in any respect value from taking on authorities.
Yoon stated the nation’s Nationwide Election Fee was hacked by North Korea final 12 months however the unbiased company refused to cooperate in an investigation and inspection of its system to safeguard integrity.
He stated the refusal was sufficient to lift questions in regards to the integrity of the April 2024 election and led him to declare martial legislation.
Yoon’s Folks Energy Celebration (PPP) suffered a crushing defeat within the April election, permitting the Democratic Celebration overwhelming management of the single-chamber meeting. Even so, the opposition wants eight members of the PPP to vote with them for the president to be impeached
Simply earlier than Yoon’s televised tackle, PPP chief Han Dong-hoon stated Yoon needed to be stripped of energy and the one method to accomplish that’s for the celebration to again the impeachment invoice.
