Tue Jan 21 10:40:52 UTC 2025: ## Impeached South Korean President Denies Ordering Military Intervention in National Assembly

**Seoul, South Korea** – Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, 64, vehemently denied allegations that he deployed special forces to the National Assembly on December 3rd to suppress the legislature. Testifying at his impeachment trial before the Constitutional Court on Tuesday, Yoon insisted the soldiers’ presence was not intended to disable parliament or prevent it from blocking his short-lived declaration of martial law. He argued that such an action would have been politically disastrous given the power of the legislature and media.

Yoon, who has been incarcerated since last week on separate criminal charges of insurrection related to the martial law attempt, maintained his actions were intended to highlight alleged abuses by the opposition Democratic Party. His legal team argued the opposition’s actions had crippled the government, claiming the martial law declaration was a symbolic alarm rather than a plan for implementation. They refuted testimony from military commanders who claimed Yoon ordered the arrest of lawmakers.

The impeachment, initiated by a two-thirds majority vote in the National Assembly on December 14th, alleges that President Yoon abused his power. Prosecutors, appointed by lawmakers, criticized Yoon’s defense as contradictory and unclear. The Constitutional Court will ultimately decide whether to uphold the impeachment, a decision that could remove Yoon from office and trigger a presidential election within 60 days. The trial is expected to continue for several months, regardless of Yoon’s presence. Yoon was transferred to a military hospital following Tuesday’s hearing, according to Yonhap news agency.

Read More