Seoul: A former lawmaker of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), Ihn Yohan, criticized former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration Monday, saying he thought Yoon had a compelling reason to impose it. Ihn expressed disappointment over the crisis in a video posted on his YouTube channel to congratulate Rep. Lee So-hee, who succeeded him as a proportional representative after his resignation last month.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Ihn remarked on the martial law declared a year ago, stating he initially believed there was a national crisis that necessitated such a drastic measure. He assumed there must have been a compelling and urgent reason for the commander-in-chief to make this decision. Ihn conveyed that this assumption was proven wrong over time.

Ihn reflected on his past experiences, recounting how a wrongful declaration of martial law can have severe consequences. He recalled being labeled as an instigator after interpreting for foreign correspondents during the 1980 pro-democracy uprising in Gwangju. He described the revelations over the past year since the declaration as disappointing and humiliating.

In his message, Ihn also expressed hope for Rep. Lee So-hee's success as a lawmaker while candidly describing himself as a "failed" one. He had been closely aligned with Yoon and had won a proportional seat in the general elections last April. Ihn resigned in mid-December, expressing that South Korea had overcome the events that followed Yoon's failed martial law attempt.

Ihn Yohan, a great-grandson of American missionary Eugene Bell, was born in 1959 in Suncheon, South Jeolla Province. Before his political career, he worked as a medical doctor.