South Korea‘s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol asserted on Wednesday that “martial law is not a crime,” defending his brief implementation of martial law as a legitimate governmental action.
Following his questioning by investigators regarding insurrection charges linked to his December 3 martial law decree, Yoon took to Facebook to restate his position, Yonhap News Agency reported.
Sharing a photograph of his handwritten message, Yoon stated, “Martial law is not a crime. Martial law is an exercise of presidential authority to overcome a national crisis.”

Yoon, who has been suspended from his duties since his December 14 impeachment by the National Assembly, contended that his impeachment was founded on an incorrect association between martial law declaration and insurrection, describing it as “truly absurd.”
He further denounced the opposition’s recent withdrawal of the insurrection charge during impeachment proceedings, labelling it “a fraudulent impeachment.”
The letter appeared while Yoon refused to provide testimony during his interrogation by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials.
Earlier today, South Korean authorities arrested President Yoon, a month after his brief declaration of martial law. After authorities entered his residence to arrest him, South Korea’s impeached President Yoon agreed to appear at the office of investigators probing him for insurrection, his lawyer confirmed.
Yoon arrived at the CIO’s office in Gwacheon, located south of Seoul, approximately 20 minutes after being detained by investigators at his residence in central Seoul.
The CIO issued a press notice stating, “The interrogation began at 11 am in a video recording interrogation room.”
Officials confirmed that deputy chief Lee Jae-seung is conducting the questioning, whilst Yoon’s legal team remains present.
Under the temporary pretrial detention warrant, the CIO has a 48-hour window to question Yoon before determining whether to pursue his arrest, a decision widely anticipated following the completion of the interrogation.
The extensive questioning, supported by more than 200 pages of prepared inquiries, is anticipated to centre on validating crucial allegations regarding the unsuccessful martial law implementation, encompassing both the planning phases and the actual execution.
The CIO’s investigation into Yoon involves potential charges including insurrection, abuse of power and additional offences.