South Korea’s Yoon Prepared to Represent Himself in Legal Proceedings, Lawyer Reveals

South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol is prepared to present his own arguments during legal proceedings related to his brief declaration of martial law, according to his lawyer, Seok Dong-hyeon, on Thursday. 

Seok, a long-time friend of Yoon, suggested that the overlapping investigations involving Yoon should be streamlined.

Yoon, a former prosecutor, stunned the nation on 3 December by declaring martial law in a late-night televised address. The decree was quickly retracted hours later following backlash from lawmakers who rejected it outright.

“He (Yoon) has already apologised for surprising and shocking the public, and he remains apologetic for that… but he has a clear and confident position on the issues that are in dispute and must be addressed,” Seok stated during a press briefing. He emphasised that Yoon never considered insurrection.

Yoon was impeached by parliament last Saturday over the martial law declaration and now faces a Constitutional Court trial to determine whether he will be removed from office or reinstated. Investigations are ongoing to assess whether his decree constituted insurrection, a rare charge that strips South Korean presidents of immunity.

“What kind of insurrection follows parliament’s order to stop… and quits after two to three hours?” Seok questioned, while wearing a souvenir watch from Yoon’s presidential office. 

Addressing whether the decree violated the constitution, Seok explained that Yoon viewed the opposition party’s dominance in parliament, its budget cuts, and impeachment actions against government officials as an “emergency state” justifying martial law.

National Assembly speaker Woo Won-shik criticised Yoon’s justification, calling it contradictory to public sentiment. 

“I think it was president Yoon’s misjudgement,” Woo remarked, accusing Yoon of failing to engage with parliament and neglecting key responsibilities such as attending the assembly opening or addressing the budget.

Currently suspended from his presidential duties, Yoon is staying at his residence. Seok noted Yoon’s ongoing efforts to assemble legal teams for both the impeachment trial and criminal investigations. The timing of his cooperation with investigations or compliance with summonses remains uncertain.

Meanwhile, investigative agencies have encountered resistance. On Wednesday, the presidential office’s security service refused to comply with raids, according to Yonhap news agency. Additionally, the Constitutional Court revealed that trial documents sent to Yoon had yet to reach him.

The saga has expanded to involve other officials. Former army intelligence commander Noh Sang-won was arrested late Wednesday for allegedly assisting in Yoon’s martial law order. Police claim Noh discussed military deployment plans with serving army officers at a fast-food restaurant two days before the decree.

Noh’s lawyer declined to comment.

In the midst of domestic political turmoil, South Korea’s acting president Han Duck-soo held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Thursday. They agreed to strengthen trilateral security cooperation with the US amid rising concerns over North Korea-Russia military ties and Pyongyang’s nuclear threat.

The uncertainty has impacted South Korea’s financial markets, with the won hitting a 15-year low on Thursday, compounded by the US Federal Reserve’s cautious stance on interest rate cuts.

Faridah Abdulkadiri

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