SEOUL: President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday defended his controversial martial law declaration as an exercise of governance and rejected insurrection charges, while committing to resist efforts for his impeachment or investigation. In a public address, Yoon justified the deployment of troops to the National Assembly, asserting it was not an act of insurrection but rather a strategic political decision to safeguard the nation amidst governmental paralysis. According to Yonhap News Agency, Yoon emphasized that his intent behind declaring martial law was to "protect the nation and normalize state affairs" against an opposition party he accused of crippling the government with impeachment attempts and budget cuts. He criticized the opposition's actions, describing them as "a frenzied sword dance," and accused them of undermining the constitutional order. Following the martial law decree, the National Assembly, dominated by the main opposition Democratic Party, passed a budget of 673.3 trillion won (US$471.5 bill ion), and approved impeachment motions against key government officials, despite resistance from Yoon's People Power Party (PPP). The Democratic Party currently holds 171 of the 300 seats in parliament. Yoon also raised concerns about the integrity of the National Election Commission, alleging potential cyber threats from North Korean hackers, and tasked former defense chief Kim Yong-hyun with scrutinizing its systems. He apologized for the inconvenience caused by the martial law's brief imposition and reiterated his commitment to confronting the investigation or impeachment proceedings. The core issue is whether Yoon's actions constituted insurrection by deploying armed forces to prevent a parliamentary vote to rescind the martial law. Yoon maintained that only "a small number" of unarmed troops were sent to "maintain order" and were withdrawn promptly after a resolution was passed to terminate the martial law. However, reports indicate that nearly 200 armed troops were dispatched to the National Assembly, with an additional 300 deployed to election-related facilities during the six-hour decree. The political climate remains tense as the opposition plans to initiate another impeachment vote against Yoon this Saturday. PPP leader Han Dong-hoon, who previously advocated for Yoon's "orderly exit," has now shifted to support the impeachment, urging party members to vote based on their convictions. With at least six PPP lawmakers backing the impeachment, eight votes are required from the party to achieve the two-thirds majority necessary for passage. If successful, Yoon would be temporarily suspended from office while the Constitutional Court reviews the case, a process expected to last up to six months.