Impeached S. Korean President Yoon Defends Martial Law Declaration in Court

South Korea's impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol has appeared in court defending his declaration of martial law in December.

Transcript

00:00Appearing for the first time in front of the court that will decide his fate.

00:08South Korea's impeached President Yoon Seok-yol.

00:12His presidential power suspended because of his short-lived declaration of martial law.

00:18Here at the Constitutional Court, he denied ordering the military to drag lawmakers out

00:24of the National Assembly to stop them overturning his bid for martial law.

00:29That, he said, would have been indefensible.

00:52Yoon says his martial law decree on December 3rd was meant as a warning to the opposition,

00:58who dominate the National Assembly and have obstructed his agenda.

01:03His action appalled many in South Korea and plunged the country into political turmoil.

01:09But outside the court, thousands of Yoon's supporters.

01:18Some invoking new U.S. President Donald Trump and the Stop the Steal slogan chanted by Trump's

01:25supporters after he lost the 2020 election.

01:56The Constitutional Court will decide by June whether to give Yoon back his presidential

02:05powers.

02:06But adding to his troubles, he's now detained and under investigation on charges of insurrection.

02:13If found guilty, he could face years in prison or even the death penalty.

02:18Yoon's martial law declaration seven weeks ago hit South Korea's democratic image hard.

02:25Inside its borders, the ongoing fallout is deepening political divisions.

02:31Klein Wong and Louise Watt for Taiwan Plus.