South Korean president vows to fight removal
Yoon Suk Yeol defended his martial law decree and said he will not step down, despite impeachment efforts
What happened
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said in televised remarks Wednesday he would not step down, despite urging from his party, and defended his six-hour imposition of martial law on Dec. 3. The brief attempt at military rule led to the arrest of Yoon's former defense minister and embroiled the president in criminal investigations and possible impeachment. Yoon has been barred from leaving the country.
Who said what
"I will fight to the end" to protect Korea from the "anti-state forces" and "criminal groups" responsible for "paralyzing" the government, Yoon said. He had apologized for his martial law decree on Saturday. But Wednesday Yoon said he had intended only to "borrow the format of martial law" to send a "warning" to the opposition Democratic Party to stop obstructing his agenda.
The opposition-controlled National Assembly tried to impeach Yoon on Saturday, but his People Power Party party boycotted the vote. PPP chair Han Dong-hoon Wednesday urged his party to support the next impeachment vote, scheduled for this Saturday. But the PPP's newly elected floor leader, Yoon ally Kwon Seong-dong, reiterated the party's stance against impeachment.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What next?
Seven PPP lawmakers have said they will vote to impeach Yoon, leaving the opposition just one vote short of the 200 needed.
-
‘Care fractures after birth’instant opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Shots fired in the US-EU war over digital censorshipIN THE SPOTLIGHT The Trump administration risks opening a dangerous new front in the battle of real-world consequences for online action
-
What will the US economy look like in 2026?Today’s Big Question Wall Street is bullish, but uncertain
-
CBS pulls ‘60 Minutes’ report on Trump deporteesSpeed Read An investigation into the deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s notorious prison was scrapped
-
Trump administration posts sliver of Epstein filesSpeed Read Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, though new photos of both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton emerged
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
-
House GOP revolt forces vote on ACA subsidiesSpeed Read The new health care bill would lower some costs but not extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies
-
Hegseth rejects release of full boat strike footageSpeed Read There are calls to release video of the military killing two survivors of a Sept. 2 missile strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat
-
Trump vows naval blockade of most Venezuelan oilSpeed Read The announcement further escalates pressure on President Nicolás Maduro
-
Kushner drops Trump hotel project in SerbiaSpeed Read Affinity Partners pulled out of a deal to finance a Trump-branded development in Belgrade
