How developments unfolded from Dec. 3 martial law declaration to Dec. 12 address

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President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a public address at the presidential office in Yongsan, Thursday. Yonhap

President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a public address at the presidential office in Yongsan, Thursday. Yonhap

Yoon says, 'I will personally write my defense statement'

By KTimes

Ahead of his abrupt national address on Thursday, President Yoon Suk Yeol told aides, "I will personally write my defense statement," demonstrating his resolve to counter legal challenges in defending his Dec. 3 martial law declaration, according to sources.

Yoon’s address that day, which he personally authored, was neither a sudden announcement nor an appeal to the ruling party.

Instead, it fully reflected his perspective on national governance and perception of reality, suggesting that it was a calculated move to prepare for the unfolding legal battles in the wake of impending impeachment.

He has remained largely out of public view since the martial law declaration, preparing for the Constitutional Court’s impeachment trial and related investigations.

Yoon has expressed to those around him his determination to "see this through to the end." His resolve was so strong that he demonstrated his desire by personally drafting his defense statement, thereby showing his deeply ingrained instincts as a prosecutor.

A source familiar with the matter quoted him as saying, "I fully expect to be arrested, but I will fight until the end to explain why martial law was necessary."

Trigger for martial law declaration

The impeachment of Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) Chief Choi Jae-hae by the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) on Nov. 5 is seen as a key trigger for Yoon’s actions. It marked the first time in Korea’s constitutional history that a BAI chief faced impeachment.

Yoon said in his address that the DPK’s push to impeach officials investigating or auditing the party’s alleged misconduct left him "unable to stand idly by."

The situation inside the presidential office on the night of Dec. 3, when martial law was declared, appears to have been far more chaotic than previously understood.

Presidential Chief of Staff Chung Jin-suk prepares to announce the appointment of the new defense minister at the presidential office in Yongsan, Dec. 5. Yonhap

Presidential Chief of Staff Chung Jin-suk prepares to announce the appointment of the new defense minister at the presidential office in Yongsan, Dec. 5. Yonhap

Chief Presidential Secretary Chung Jin-suk, a five-term lawmaker who once served as deputy speaker of the National Assembly, was urgently summoned back from an evening dinner.

During his return, Chung asked Kim Joo-hyun, senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, about the situation, but Kim was unaware of the full details.

Upon arriving at the presidential office and trying to assess the situation, Chung attempted to dissuade Yoon, saying, “You cannot do this.” However, Yoon responded curtly, “Step aside.”

Tensions escalated further when former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun entered the scene. Chung turned to Kim and shouted, “What is this madness?” but Kim, unfazed, glared back and retorted, “We must implement martial law.”

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

Source: koreatimes.co.kr
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