Yoon Suk Yeol's televised statement came hours before the main liberal opposition Democratic Party submits a new impeachment motion against Yoon. The opposition party plans to put the motion on a floor vote this Saturday
Its earlier attempt to impeach Yoon fell through last Saturday, with ruling party lawmakers boycotting a vote at the National Assembly
Yoon's December 3 martial law decree has generated political chaos and protests calling for his ouster
"I will fight to the end, to prevent the forces and criminal groups that have been responsible for paralysing the country's government and disrupting the nation's constitutional order from threatening the future of the Republic of Korea," Yoon said
Yoon said his martial law introduction was meant to defend the county's liberal democracy and constitutional order in the face of the liberal opposition party, which he says has paralysed state affairs and threatened the constitution
Yoon said his martial law decree was an act of governance that cannot be the subject of investigations and doesn't amount to rebellion
"The opposition is now doing a knife dance of chaos, claiming that the declaration of martial law constitutes to an act of rebellion. But was it really," Yoon said
The main focus of the investigation is finding whether Yoon and other top military and government officials involved in imposing martial law committed rebellion. A conviction for rebellion carries a maximum penalty of death
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