Yoon Suk Yeol attends the fourth listening to of the impeachment trial on the Constitutional Court docket in Jongno District, Seoul, Jan. 23. Yonhap
Indicted over costs of main an riot in December, President Yoon Suk Yeol defended his determination to declare martial regulation in a gathering along with his authorized representatives on Tuesday.
Seok Dong-hyeon, one among Yoon’s legal professionals, advised reporters that Yoon questioned aloud how his determination to impose martial regulation on Dec. 3 may very well be thought of an act of riot when „every part was achieved inside the boundaries of the Structure.“
Seok and different legal professionals met with Yoon on the Seoul Detention Middle on Tuesday, two days after Yoon grew to become the primary sitting South Korean president to be indicted beneath detention.
Yoon is accused of conspiring with former Protection Minister Kim Yong-hyun and others to incite an riot on Dec. 3 by declaring an unconstitutional and unlawful state of emergency, regardless of the absence of any indicators of struggle, armed battle or a comparable nationwide disaster.
Yoon can also be alleged to have despatched army troops to the Nationwide Meeting to be able to preserve lawmakers from voting down the martial regulation declaration and to have deliberate to arrest key political figures.
In line with Seok, Yoon mentioned he exercised his constitutional rights to declare martial regulation to tell the individuals of the disaster that the nation was dealing with, with the principle opposition Democratic Occasion of Korea (DPK) having taken over parliament.
Yoon additionally famous that he instantly lifted the martial regulation as soon as the Nationwide Meeting voted down his declaration.
Yoon advised his legal professionals that his motion couldn’t represent an act of riot as a result of there had not been any bloodshed or casualties, nor had there been any arrest of politicians.
Legal professional Seok Dong-hyun, representing President Yoon Suk Yeol, solutions reporters‘ questions in entrance of the Seoul Western District Court docket in Mapo District, Seoul, Jan. 18. Yonhap
Seok mentioned Yoon claimed that he had by no means supposed to take care of martial regulation for an prolonged stretch of time as a result of he had not ready any handbook on easy methods to run the executive and judicial branches in such a state, and since he had absolutely anticipated the Nationwide Meeting to promptly vote it down.
„He did not say something specific about spending the Lunar New Yr vacation contained in the detention heart or concerning the state of affairs he’s in because the sitting president,“ Seok mentioned. „However I may inform from his seems to be that a number of issues have been going by his thoughts.“
Seok added Yoon voiced his considerations about the way forward for Korea.
„He mentioned he was fearful about many individuals struggling to make ends meet in these chilly circumstances,“ Seok relayed. „He was additionally involved that younger individuals who must be dreaming large goals could develop pissed off and disenchanted with actuality.“
Seok famous that first girl Kim Keon Hee has been experiencing well being issues of late. Yoon, who hasn’t seen his spouse since being detained on Jan. 15, was fearful about Kim’s situation, Seok mentioned.
The DPK fired photographs at Yoon for worrying concerning the state of the nation when he himself had triggered issues.
„He incited an riot and shook our constitutional order at its core. He has additionally destroyed our economic system,“ Cho Seung-rae, the DPK’s senior spokesperson, mentioned. „And he has the temerity to say he is fearful about the way forward for the nation. That is fairly chilling.
„How may somebody so involved concerning the nation deploy army forces to begin an riot and incite his supporters?“ Cho continued. „He has nonetheless not but admitted to his wrongdoing within the face of authorized judgment. There appears to be no finish to his shamelessness.“
On Kim’s obvious well being points, Cho mentioned Yoon „ought to neglect about making an attempt to make individuals really feel sympathetic.“
„Individuals will solely keep in mind Kim and Yoon as a pair tainted with all types of corruption allegations,“ the spokesperson mentioned. „If Yoon is fearful concerning the nation in any respect, he ought to cease making an attempt to drag tips to delay the authorized course of.“ (Yonhap)
