President Yoon Defends Martial Law Declaration, Dismisses Criticism

President Yoon Suk Yeol defended his martial law declaration on December 4th, asserting there was “absolutely nothing wrong” with the decision during a meeting with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and People Power Party (PPP) leader Han Dong-hoon at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul.

According to ruling party officials, President Yoon emphasized that the martial law was necessary “to prevent the Democratic Party’s reckless abuse of impeachment power,” maintaining his stance from the previous day. Sources indicate that Yoon believes there were no constitutional or legal defects in the martial law declaration procedure.

Despite the National Assembly’s move to lift the martial law and mounting pressure for presidential accountability, Yoon has maintained an uncompromising position. During the meeting, PPP leader Han and floor leader Choo Kyung-ho reportedly requested the dismissal of Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and the resignation of the entire cabinet. However, they allegedly refrained from directly mentioning the issue of Yoon’s party membership withdrawal during the face-to-face meeting.

A ruling party official revealed that prior to the presidential meeting, Han had demanded Yoon’s withdrawal from the party during a separate discussion with the Prime Minister and presidential staff at the Prime Minister’s official residence in Samcheong-dong, Seoul.

The PPP leadership is scheduled to report the meeting’s outcomes at a party caucus at 10 PM. The party’s future response will likely be determined based on the president’s position as conveyed by the meeting participants, following earlier discussions where lawmakers emphasized the need to understand the president’s true intentions before deciding on their course of action.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Party plans to present an impeachment motion against President Yoon in the National Assembly plenary session on December 5th, citing constitutional and legal violations in his martial law declaration. Within the PPP, reactions are mixed, with some members suggesting that “impeachment should be considered,” while a majority still maintains that “impeachment is unacceptable and public sentiment should be recovered through other means.”

The situation highlights growing tensions between the president and his own party, with critics suggesting that Yoon lacks a realistic understanding of the current political crisis.