President of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, addressed the failed coup attempt and the investigation against him on Thursday.
During a speech, he refuted claims that his implementation of martial law a week and a half ago was an attempted coup. He stated that he acted "to protect the nation and normalize state affairs against an opposition that has become a monster destroying the constitutional order of liberal democracy."
President Yoon further claimed that the president's use of authority to declare an emergency under martial law is a governmental act not subject to judicial review, similar to the presidential powers regarding pardon and exercising diplomatic powers.
The investigation against President Yoon has led South Korean authorities to prohibit him from leaving the country, an unprecedented step. "If I am indicted, I will not shy away from my legal and political responsibility for declaring martial law - I will fight until the last moment," Yoon said.
The opposition responded by saying the situation is "an extreme expression of hypocrisy while declaring war on the nation."
The opposition is expected to bring a vote for the president's dismissal in parliament on Saturday, their second attempt, after the first failed because the opposition did not secure the required two-thirds majority due to the ruling party's boycott, which holds 108 of the 300 seats in parliament.