South Korea’s ex-president Yoon says sorry for imposing martial law
He adds that he stands behind the ‘sincerity and purpose’ of his actions and calls the sentencing ‘predetermined’
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[SEOUL] Former South Korean president Yoon Suk-yeol apologised on Friday (Feb 20) for his short-lived declaration of martial law in December 2024.
It comes a day after a Seoul court sentenced him to life in prison for masterminding an insurrection.
In a statement released by his lawyers, he said that while he was sorry for the “frustration and hardship” brought upon the people by his martial law decree, he stood behind the “sincerity and purpose” of his actions.
The Seoul Central District Court’s decision to hand him a life sentence on Thursday (Feb 19) was “predetermined”, he added, saying that the verdict against him was political retaliation.
“Forces that seek to smear a decision made to save the nation as an ‘insurrection’ and use it beyond political attacks – as an opportunity to purge and eliminate their opponents – will only grow more rampant going forward,” he said.
He also questioned whether an appeal would have meaning in what he described as an environment where judicial independence could not be guaranteed, while telling his supporters to “unite and rise”.
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His lawyers separately said the statement did not amount to an intention to forgo an appeal.
Yoon’s martial law declaration lasted around six hours before being voted down by parliament, but it sent shockwaves through the country and sparked street protests.
The court found him guilty of subverting a Constitutional order by deploying troops to storm parliament and detain opponents. His being stripped of office and imprisoned capped a dramatic fall from power.
A former career prosecutor, he denied the charges, arguing he had presidential authority to declare martial law; he also said his action was aimed at sounding the alarm over the opposition parties’ obstruction of government.
Although South Korea has not carried out an execution since 1997, a special prosecutor had sought the death penalty for Yoon.
On Thursday, a prosecutor said the team had some “regret” over the sentencing, but declined to say whether they planned to appeal. REUTERS
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