What South Korean President Yoon asserted in his final statement: Impeachment trial concluded

The final arguments in the impeachment trial to determine whether South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol, who declared "emergency martial law" in December last year, should be removed from office were held at the Constitutional Court of South Korea on the 25th.
Yoon delivered his final statement, once again explaining the circumstances that led to the declaration of "emergency martial law." He said South Korea was in a "crisis that threatened the downfall of the nation," and that the declaration of "emergency martial law" was "a measure to overcome the national crisis."
He justified his actions by saying that it was a "legitimate exercise of the President's authority." He repeatedly apologized to the public and expressed his desire to return to work. The impeachment trial held a total of 11 hearings, including this one.
The trial will now end, and the Constitutional Court will decide whether to remove Yoon from office. In past impeachment trials, the decision was made about two weeks after the trial concluded, so many South Korean media outlets have predicted that this time, the decision will be made within the next month.
Yoon declared "emergency martial law" in December last year. Emergency martial law is a type of martial law stipulated in the South Korean Constitution. It is used when military necessity occurs in times of war or other emergency situations.
Martial law is issued by the president in the event of a civil war or to maintain public order. The military takes control of executive and judicial functions and is authorized to restrict freedom of speech, press, and association. Martial law was first declared in 1987.
This was the first time since democratization in 2000. 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.
In addition to raising slogans against martial law, they surrounded military vehicles, causing chaos. However, martial law is lifted only when a majority of members of the National Assembly request it, and the president must comply with this request.
Immediately after the declaration, a plenary session of the National Assembly was held and all the members present voted in favor of lifting it. Yoon lifted the emergency martial law in just six hours.
The country has been thrown into turmoil, and the political situation remains unstable to this day. Opposition parties, including the Democratic Party of Korea, have accused Yoon of "attempting to suspend the constitutional order and committing a civil war in an attempt to seize permanent power."
The government submitted a motion to impeach Yoon to the National Assembly, pointing out that the act violated the Constitution. A vote was held in December last year, and the motion passed with 204 votes in favor and 85 against. Yoon was subsequently suspended from his duties and is currently serving as the head of the National Assembly.
Currently, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of Strategy and Finance Choi Sang-mok is acting as president. Following the passage of the bill, the Constitutional Court will decide within six months whether to impeach or reinstate Yoon.
If he is impeached, a presidential election will be held within 60 days. Arguments have been held in the Constitutional Court since last month. In the impeachment trial so far, the legitimacy of the martial law has been the main issue, and the National Assembly's prosecution team has
The government has also criticized the fact that the declaration of "emergency martial law" was issued without meeting the requirement of "time of war, emergency, or equivalent national emergency" as stipulated in Article 77 of the Constitution, and that the military was mobilized to the Diet during martial law and politicians were arrested.
He claimed that the attempt to declare "emergency martial law" was a violation of the Constitution. Yoon, however, attended the trial himself and argued that the declaration of "emergency martial law" was an act of governance and thus justified.
Yoon appeared in the Constitutional Court on the 25th to make his final arguments.
The president has been impeached, but this is the first time he has appeared in court to make a final statement. Yoon said the purpose of declaring emergency martial law was to "inform the public of the nation's demise and to use the power of constitutional law to
"My goal was to appeal for sovereignty to come forward," he said, adding, "I think I have achieved a significant portion of my goal." Yoon also expressed a desire to return to work, saying that if he does, "the second half of my term will be for the benefit of future generations."
"I will focus on promoting political reforms to achieve this goal," he said. Having previously led cooperation with Japan and the United States, he indicated his intention to focus on foreign policy and to hand over much of the authority over domestic issues to the prime minister.
He apologized to the people, saying, "The state of emergency was for the sake of the nation and its people, but I regret the confusion and inconvenience it caused to the people in the process."
Meanwhile, an opposition lawmaker who appeared in court on behalf of the National Assembly that filed the impeachment suit and made the final statement said, "President Yoon has destroyed the Constitution and trampled on the National Assembly.
"He tried to impeach me. He must be impeached for the sake of democracy and the development of the nation," he said. The impeachment trial for Yoon ended on the same day, and the decision on whether to impeach Yoon was left to the Constitutional Court.
If Yoon is impeached, a presidential election will be held within 60 days. According to some South Korean media, the political world is already anticipating Yoon's impeachment and both the ruling and opposition parties are working together to prepare for the presidential election.
It is said that a bargain is underway.