Seoul [South Korea], December 20: According to Reuters, defense attorney Seok Dong-hyeon yesterday asserted that South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol did not commit the crime of rebellion when he declared martial law on December 3.
Mr. Yoon was impeached by the National Assembly and suspended from office, pending a court decision to remove him from office. At the same time, multiple agencies have opened a criminal investigation against him on charges of rebellion.
Lawyer Seok stressed that the declaration of martial law was not unconstitutional. He said that the non-cooperation of the opposition-controlled parliament paralyzed the government and created a state of emergency, which was the basis for the declaration of martial law. Mr. Seok said Mr. Yoon was still assembling a legal team to respond to the investigative agencies as well as the impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court. Investigators had previously considered seeking an arrest warrant because Mr. Yoon had deliberately failed to appear for questioning.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper