Yoon must include an apology in his final statement
Published: 25 Feb. 2025, 00:00
President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to personally present a speech during the final arguments of his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court today. Currently detained in a detention center, President Yoon has been drafting his final statement while coordinating with his legal representatives. Throughout the impeachment trial proceedings, President Yoon has actively participated — a first for a sitting president. Whenever given the opportunity to speak, he has primarily emphasized that declaring martial law was an unavoidable measure. He has claimed, "There was no actual intention to enforce the proclamation or the emergency legislative body" and described the situation as "chasing the reflection of the moon on a lake when nothing had actually happened." His focus has been on denying the unconstitutionality of the martial law declaration.
Perhaps due to this stance, President Yoon has yet to properly apologize to the public for declaring martial law. It is undeniable that governance became increasingly difficult due to the dominant opposition party's consecutive impeachment motions and unilateral budget approvals, as he has pointed out. However, these circumstances do not justify the deployment of armed troops to the National Assembly and the National Election Commission. While many key military and police officials have been arrested and are under investigation for their roles in the martial law incident, President Yoon has consistently refused to acknowledge his mistakes. Instead, during his defense, he claimed, "In the martial law situation, the soldiers maintaining security were actually assaulted by citizens."
Given this, President Yoon must use his final statement before the Constitutional Court to sincerely apologize to the public for the chaos caused by the declaration of martial law. The absence of national leadership has exacerbated the economic and livelihood crisis, which is now at its worst since the financial crisis of 1997. Additionally, U.S. President Donald Trump has created significant diplomatic challenges, particularly in Korea’s relationship with the United States. Some speculate that President Yoon may use this opportunity to present a vision for governance in preparation for the potential dismissal of the impeachment motion, possibly even proposing a constitutional amendment to shorten his term. However, what many citizens most want to hear is a self-reflective admission from a leader who was elected by a majority of voters but ultimately led the nation into a dire crisis.
President Yoon must also publicly pledge to accept the Constitutional Court's decision, whether it upholds or dismisses the impeachment. Large-scale rallies both supporting and opposing the impeachment continue to escalate across the country, with political conflicts reaching their peak. Political parties from both sides have fueled the discord, deepening the divide among the people. President Yoon himself bears responsibility for this situation, as he has used divisive rhetoric such as labeling opponents as "antistate forces" while simultaneously expressing gratitude to his fervent supporters, further stoking division. The recurrence of a presidential impeachment trial is a national tragedy. To help society move beyond division and toward unity, President Yoon must call for acceptance of the verdict, even addressing the crowds gathered in the streets. Demonstrating such leadership would be the most presidential course of action he could take at this point.
Translated using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
Perhaps due to this stance, President Yoon has yet to properly apologize to the public for declaring martial law. It is undeniable that governance became increasingly difficult due to the dominant opposition party's consecutive impeachment motions and unilateral budget approvals, as he has pointed out. However, these circumstances do not justify the deployment of armed troops to the National Assembly and the National Election Commission. While many key military and police officials have been arrested and are under investigation for their roles in the martial law incident, President Yoon has consistently refused to acknowledge his mistakes. Instead, during his defense, he claimed, "In the martial law situation, the soldiers maintaining security were actually assaulted by citizens."
Given this, President Yoon must use his final statement before the Constitutional Court to sincerely apologize to the public for the chaos caused by the declaration of martial law. The absence of national leadership has exacerbated the economic and livelihood crisis, which is now at its worst since the financial crisis of 1997. Additionally, U.S. President Donald Trump has created significant diplomatic challenges, particularly in Korea’s relationship with the United States. Some speculate that President Yoon may use this opportunity to present a vision for governance in preparation for the potential dismissal of the impeachment motion, possibly even proposing a constitutional amendment to shorten his term. However, what many citizens most want to hear is a self-reflective admission from a leader who was elected by a majority of voters but ultimately led the nation into a dire crisis.
President Yoon must also publicly pledge to accept the Constitutional Court's decision, whether it upholds or dismisses the impeachment. Large-scale rallies both supporting and opposing the impeachment continue to escalate across the country, with political conflicts reaching their peak. Political parties from both sides have fueled the discord, deepening the divide among the people. President Yoon himself bears responsibility for this situation, as he has used divisive rhetoric such as labeling opponents as "antistate forces" while simultaneously expressing gratitude to his fervent supporters, further stoking division. The recurrence of a presidential impeachment trial is a national tragedy. To help society move beyond division and toward unity, President Yoon must call for acceptance of the verdict, even addressing the crowds gathered in the streets. Demonstrating such leadership would be the most presidential course of action he could take at this point.
Translated using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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