South Korean Prez Yoon Defends Martial Law Calls It 'Act Of Rebellion'

President Yoon in a televised statement, slammed the opposition and said, "The opposition is now doing a knife dance of chaos, claiming that the declaration of martial law constitutes to an act of rebellion."

The statement came just hours before the liberal opposition Democratic Party was set to submit a new impeachment motion against him, with plans to bring it to a vote this Saturday.

This is followed by the failure of their earlier impeachment attempt last Saturday, when ruling party lawmakers boycotted the vote in the National Assembly.

Yoon’s December 3 martial law decree has sparked widespread political unrest and protests demanding his resignation.

How Has President Yoon Defended Martial Law Declaration

President Yoon during his address on Thursday said, “I will fight to the end, to prevent the forces and criminal groups that have been responsible for paralysing the country's government and disrupting the nation's constitutional order from threatening the future of the Republic of Korea."

Yoon reportedly explained that his martial law introduction was meant to defend the county's liberal democracy and constitutional order in the face of the liberal opposition party, which he says has paralysed state affairs and threatened the constitution.

Yoon also said his martial law decree was an act of governance that cannot be the subject of investigations and doesn't amount to rebellion.

“The opposition is now doing a knife dance of chaos, claiming that the declaration of martial law constitutes to an act of rebellion. But was it really," Yoon added.

On Wednesday, Yoon's office resisted a police attempt to search the compound.

The main focus of the investigation is finding whether Yoon and other top military and government officials involved in imposing martial law committed rebellion.

A conviction for rebellion carries a maximum penalty of death.

Earlier this week, Yoon's former defence minister Kim Yong-huyn was arrested on allegations of playing a key role in a rebellion and committing abuse of power.

He became the first person formally arrested over the martial law decree.

Kim was one of Yoon's close associates and has been accused of recommending martial law to Yoon and sending troops to the National Assembly to block lawmakers from voting on it.

Eventually several lawmakers managed to enter a parliament chamber and unanimously rejected Yoon's decree, forcing the Cabinet to lift it before daybreak on December 4.