Yoon Defends Martial Law at Final Impeachment Hearing, Pledges Constitutional Amendments

At the final hearing of his impeachment trial on Tuesday, South Korea’s detained President Yoon Suk Yeol defended his short-lived martial law declaration, insisting that its “purpose has been largely achieved.” Addressing the eight-judge Constitutional Court in Seoul, Yoon apologized to the public but maintained that his actions were necessary to counter what he described as an attempted power grab by opposition forces. He pledged to focus on constitutional amendments upon his return to office, signaling his intent to revise the current system established in 1987.

Yoon’s legal team argued that the martial law declaration was an “inevitable choice” in response to what they called the opposition’s “one-party dictatorship fascism.” The National Assembly, which serves as the prosecution in the case, insisted that Yoon violated the Constitution by imposing martial law without a legitimate national emergency, justifying his removal from office.

The Constitutional Court now has until mid-March to decide his fate, with six out of eight judges required to uphold the impeachment for it to take effect. If upheld, a snap presidential election will be held within 60 days; if overturned, Yoon will be reinstated immediately.

Outside the courthouse, nearly 4,000 pro-Yoon supporters rallied, some holding signs with slogans reminiscent of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s claims of election fraud. A pro-Yoon group announced it had submitted a petition with 190,000 signatures opposing the impeachment. With tensions running high, South Korea braces for a landmark ruling that could shape its political landscape for years to come.