South Korean president defends martial law decree as impeachment trial nears end

A TV screen shows footage of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s address at the final hearing of his trial (Ahn Young-joo/AP)

South Korea’s impeached president defended his martial law decree as a desperate bid to promote public awareness of the danger of the opposition-controlled parliament, and vowed on Tuesday to push for political reform if reinstated.

President Yoon Suk Yeol made his final statement at the Constitutional Court as it completed oral arguments in his impeachment trial.