The President of South Korea dismissed allegations of rebellion and refused to resign from office.

His words are reported by the South Korean agency Yonhap.

Yoon Suk Yeol explained that he utilized his presidential powers to declare martial law “to protect the nation and normalize government affairs”, and he described his decision as “a highly calibrated political decision”.

The president also accused the opposition of obstructing the government by pursuing impeachment and cutting necessary budget expenditures planned for the next year.

“The National Assembly, dominated by a major opposition party, has turned into a monster that is destroying the constitutional order of free democracy”, stated the country's president.

It was previously reported that the president of South Korea has been suspected of treason and abuse of power. Earlier, suspicion of treason was also raised against former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who is currently in custody.

What happened in South Korea?

On December 3, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol unexpectedly announced in an evening address that martial law is being declared in the country. He cited “anti-state activities” by the opposition, which he accused of supporting North Korea, as the reason.

This announcement followed several weeks of political disputes over a new state budget bill—the opposition Democratic Party refused to approve it. Instead, the opposition submitted a reduced budget proposal to the parliamentary budget committee, as well as a motion for impeachment against the state auditor and the attorney general.

The declaration of martial law allowed the president to gain strict control over political activities and the media. Yoon's decision shocked even his own party, with the leader of the “People Power Party,” Han Dong-hoon, calling it “incorrect.”

Following the announcement of martial law, military forces blocked the parliament building. They prevented opposition lawmakers from entering, who had come to overturn Yoon's decision after his announcement.

Eventually, around midnight local time, 190 out of 300 members of the National Assembly voted to revoke martial law. Additionally, thousands of people gathered outside the building, demanding the president's resignation.

Amid these events, the South Korean currency fell to its lowest level against the US dollar since October 2022. Six opposition parties in South Korea filed a petition for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol.

However, the first impeachment vote failed because members of the ruling “People Power Party” left the session hall. The opposition has promised to submit impeachment petitions weekly until the president resigns or is removed from office.