South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol defended the legitimacy of his martial law decree in a final statement at the Constitutional Court which is deciding whether his impeachment is appropriate.



In the 11th and last hearing in the impeachment trial on Tuesday, Jung Chung-rai of the main opposition Democratic Party, the head of the National Assembly's impeachment panel, denounced Yoon.



He argued that the president's actions were a clear betrayal to the people. He added that the president tried to destroy the country's Constitution, and for democracy, he must be removed from the office.



In response, Yoon said the purpose of martial law was to inform the public of the national crisis and to appeal to the people to squarely look at the situation and jointly take actions to overcome problems.



He went on to say that he had simply performed works by executing the president's authority.



The president also said that he would focus on foreign relations if reinstated while shifting authority over domestic issue to the prime minister. He also said that he would push for a constitutional revision and political reforms.



South Korean media reported that the court is expected to hand down a ruling by mid-March on whether uphold or dismiss Yoon's impeachment over the imposition of martial law in December.