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January 15, 2025 | 10:08 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol claimed on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, that declaring martial law was not a crime.
As reported by Yonhap and quoted by Antara, Yoon defended the brief imposition of martial law as an act of government in a handwritten letter delivered after his arrest.
He reiterated his previous claim in a Facebook post, hours after he was detained by investigators. He was questioned over allegations of rebellion related to the martial law decree issued on December 3.
“Martial law is not a crime. "Martial law is an exercise of the president's authority to address a national crisis," Yoon wrote, including a photo of his handwritten letter.
Yoon, whose duties have been suspended since he was impeached by South Korea's National Assembly on December 14, argued that his impeachment was based on a narrative that equated the declaration of martial law with rebellion, calling it "totally absurd."
He also criticized the opposition's recent move to withdraw the rebellion charge in the impeachment process, calling it a fraudulent impeachment move.
The letter was released as Yoon refused to testify during questioning by the Corruption Investigation Office for Senior Officials (CIO).
Yoon Suk Yeol is the first South Korean president to be arrested while in office, marking the latest shocking development for one of Asia's most vibrant democracies. South Korea also has a history of prosecuting and imprisoning former leaders.
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