Pres. Yoon: Martial law is an act of governance

“The exercise of the president’s authority to declare martial law is similar to exercising pardon or diplomatic authority as it is a governing act immune from judicial review,” asserted South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol in a surprise public address on Thursday, stressing his decision was a “constitutional decision, and it cannot be considered treason.” The president offered no apology for the unconstitutionality and illegality of the martial law but reiterated his claim that the declaration was aimed at “preventing the collapse of liberal democratic order and restoring the state’s functionality,” echoing his stance from Dec. 3, when the martial law was announced.

Han Dong-hoon, leader of the People Power Party, criticized the statement as “an attempt to justify the situation and an effective admission of his act of treason.” Meanwhile, the Democratic Party of Korea called Yoon’s remarks a reaffirmation of his “spiritual nature” and accused him of inciting far-right unrest and openly issuing orders to destroy evidence. The party demanded Yoon’s immediate arrest.

President Yoon said in the 29-minute address delivered from his office in Yongsan on Thursday morning, "The opposition party claims that the declaration of martial law constitutes treason, engaging in a frenzied dance of madness. Whether they pursue impeachment or an investigation, I will face it head-on with confidence." The president also labeled the opposition as a "ruinous force disrupting constitutional order,” adding, "The massive opposition party has, almost daily, abused its majority power to pass reckless legislation and has turned the legislature into a dictatorship, fixated solely on shielding itself. I acted to protect South Korea’s liberal democracy and constitutional order." He devoted most of the address to justifying the declaration of martial law.

President Yoon also sought to justify the deployment of martial law forces to the National Assembly, claiming it was to “maintain order in anticipation of large crowds of citizens and officials reacting to the announcement.” However, his comments were directly contradicted by testimony from Kwak Jong-geun, a former Army Special Forces commander, who alleged that Yoon had ordered troops to “break down the doors and drag lawmakers out.”

President Yoon also claimed that "the National Election Commission's election management system is faulty," adding, "That’s why I instructed the Minister of National Defense to inspect the Election Commission's data system." In doing so, he effectively admitted to ordering the deployment of martial law forces to the Election Commission based on allegations of election fraud raised by some within conservative circles. The commission criticized President Yoon, stating, "Raising strong suspicions of election fraud is tantamount to denying the very election management system that brought him to the presidency. "Thursday's address came five days after his brief 112-second statement on Saturday, which hinted at a potential "second-line retreat" (stepping back from direct governance).


Hyung-Jun Hwang constant25@donga.com