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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
World
Justin McCurry

Martial law was Yoon Suk Yeol’s answer to ‘legislative dictatorship’, insurrection trial hears

Yoon Suk Yeol South Korea Impeachment
Yoon Suk Yeol seated in court wearing a suit
South Korea's impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol attends a hearing at the constitutional court in Seoul on 13 February 2025. Photograph: Jeon Heon-Kyun/AFP/Getty Images file

Lawyers for Yoon Suk Yeol have told a court in Seoul that the impeached president declared martial law in late 2024 to prevent the country becoming a “legislative dictatorship” controlled by his political opponents.

The claim came as Yoon became the first South Korean president to stand trial in a criminal case, brought over his short-lived declaration of martial law in early December.

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