South Korean President Denies Coup in Impeachment Process

seoul - President Yoon Suk-yeol denies accusations of staging a coup by declaring a military state of emergency in December amid impeachment proceedings.

President's Denial

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol refuted claims of orchestrating a coup by imposing a state of emergency in December. This statement was made during a final hearing at the Constitutional Court, tasked with deciding whether the suspended president will be impeached or reinstated. Yoon addressed the court in Seoul, dismissing allegations of attempting to establish a dictatorship and prolong his rule through the state of emergency.

The impeachment process was initiated by the parliament in mid-December, with the opposition receiving support from some of Yoon's party members. Yoon had declared the state of emergency as an unprecedented measure against the opposition, which holds a parliamentary majority. The chaotic events led to the parliamentarians entering the parliament and voting to lift the state of emergency after six hours, resulting in the largest political crisis in South Korea in decades.