What South Korean President Yoon said in court during his first appearance at his impeachment trial

South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol attended his impeachment hearing at the Constitutional Court on the 21st of this month. This was the third time Yoon's impeachment hearing has been held, but on this day, Yoon himself
This was Yoon's first time in court. The National Assembly, which filed the impeachment suit, has argued that the blockade of the National Assembly was illegal, but Yoon fully refuted this argument in his arguments on the day.
Yoon declared "emergency martial law" late at night on the 3rd of last month. Emergency martial law is a form of martial law stipulated in the Korean Constitution.
A type of martial law. It is issued by the president in times of war or other emergency, when it is necessary for military purposes, or to maintain public order. It was the first time that martial law was issued since democratization in 1987.
Following the declaration, armed soldiers of the martial law army broke the windows and stormed into the National Diet building. In a scene reminiscent of the military regime, many citizens gathered in front of the National Diet and chanted slogans against martial law.
However, if a majority of the members of the National Assembly request the lifting of martial law, the President must comply with this request, and immediately after the declaration, a plenary session of the National Assembly was held.
All of the lawmakers in attendance voted in favor of lifting the state of emergency. Yoon lifted it in just six hours. Opposition parties, including the Democratic Party of Korea, said Yoon was "attempting to suspend the constitutional order and seize permanent power, thus staging an attempted civil war."
The National Assembly submitted a motion to impeach Yoon, accusing him of violating the Constitution by "violating the Constitutional Law and other laws." The motion was passed by 204 votes in favor and 85 against on the 14th of last month. Yoon was subsequently suspended from his duties.
The president has been suspended, and Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of Strategy and Finance Choi Sang-mok is now acting as president. Following the passage of the impeachment bill in the National Assembly, Yoon will face an impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court.
The impeachment trial will examine whether there was any illegality surrounding the martial law and will decide whether Yoon should be removed from office. The first arguments in Yoon's impeachment trial began on the 14th of this month, but Yoon was not able to answer the first and second questions.
The first hearing on the 14th showed high public interest, with 48.6 times as many online applications as observers, but due to Yoon's absence, it ended in just four minutes.
On the 21st, Yoon appeared in court for the third time wearing a navy blue suit and a dark red tie. Yoon began by saying, "I think the workload is too heavy with the various constitutional lawsuits, but I'm working hard on my impeachment case.
He expressed sympathy for the judge, saying, "I am sorry for putting him through such a difficult time," and added, "Ever since I was old enough to understand, I have lived my life in public service with one firm belief in liberal democracy.
"The Constitutional Court is an organization that exists to protect the Constitution. That is why I hope that the judges will treat the Constitution with care," he continued.
Yoon said that after declaring "emergency martial law," he would send military forces into the National Assembly and have lawmakers lift martial law.
There is a suspicion that he ordered the military to block the passage of the resolution demanding the removal of the Diet members, but on the same day, the judge said, "After the declaration of 'emergency martial law,' he instructed the military leaders to pull out the Diet members from the assembly hall.
When asked if he had sent troops to the National Assembly, Yoon denied it, saying, "No." Yoon's lawyer explained why the military was sent to the National Assembly. The reason for sending troops was to inform the public that the country was in a moribund situation and to ensure that the public
He explained that this was to prepare for a situation where people would storm the National Assembly. In addition, Yoon's lawyer said, "The decree was issued to give the formality of martial law, and to ban all political activities.
The arguments ended at 3:40 p.m., but according to South Korean news agency Yonhap News Agency, Yoon
After finishing his arguments, he was taken to a military hospital instead of to the Seoul Detention Center where he is being held. According to Yonhap News Agency, citing a presidential source, he went to the hospital because he usually goes to the hospital after his normal stay.
The reason is that he is undergoing a regular medical check-up since his birth, and there is no problem with his health. Many of Yoon's supporters were gathered around the Constitutional Court in Seoul, where the impeachment hearing was being held that day.
Large numbers of people gathered, causing confusion. Traffic restrictions were reportedly put in place in some areas. Yoon has indicated his intention to continue attending the impeachment trial arguments, which are held twice a week, and Yonhap News Agency said, "The confusion is due to the
If six of the nine justices at the Constitutional Court, which is reviewing the validity of the impeachment, vote in favor, Yoon will be removed from office and a presidential election will be held within 60 days.