South Korea's Yoon vows to 'fight to the end', defying impeachment threat
Yoon is staring down a second impeachment vote in parliament on Saturday.
Dr Luqman Akasyah and his wife, Dr Rabia'tul A'dawiah, were volunteers for Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam’s presidential election campaign in 2023. (Photo: CNA/Ooi Boon Keong)
SEOUL: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said in a defiant address on Thursday (Dec 12) he would "fight to the end" as his own political party shifted closer to voting with the opposition to impeach him over his short-lived martial law order that threw the US ally into turmoil.
In a lengthy televised address, he alleged that North Korea had hacked South Korea's election commission, casting doubt on his party's landslide election defeat in April.
Yoon, whose country has Asia's fourth-largest economy, hopes political allies will rally to support him but this appeared less likely after his address. The leader of his ruling People Power Party (PPP) said the time had come for Yoon to resign or be impeached by parliament.
His comments were the first since he apologised on Saturday and promised to leave his fate in the hands of his political allies.
The 63-year-old said the opposition was "dancing the sword dance of madness" by trying to drag a democratically elected president from power.
"I will fight to the end," he said in a lengthy address broadcast on television. "Whether they impeach me or investigate me, I will face it all squarely."
