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STORY: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed on Thursday to quote “fight to the end,” even as his own party shifted closer to vote to impeach him over his short-lived martial law order last week. Yoon’s first comments since he apologized for the martial law declaration on Saturday came in the form of a lengthy televised address. “We must prevent the forces and criminal groups that have led the paralysis of government administration and disorder of national constitution from taking over the state administration and threatening the future of the Republic of Korea no matter what. I will fight to the end.”Yoon went on to claim, without citing evidence, that North Korea had hacked South Korea's election commission, throwing doubt on his party's crushing election defeat in April. Yoon also appeared to defend his decision to declare emergency rule in the first place, referring to the opposition Democratic Party, which has blocked some of his proposals, as "criminal groups" that must be stopped from taking over government. Again, Yoon gave no evidence of criminal activity. Yoon is hoping his political allies will rally to his support, but after watching his fiery address Thursday morning, the leader of Yoon’s own People Power Party responded that the time had come for the President to resign or be impeached by parliament. Meanwhile, Democratic Party leadership said Yoon's address was a quote "display of extreme delusion," and called on members of the president's ruling party to vote to impeach him. Protests calling for Yoon's impeachment continued in the capital Seoul on Wednesday. A second impeachment vote in parliament is expected on Saturday, a week after the first one failed due to a ruling party boycott. South Korean media reported that another of their lawmakers publicly declared support for impeachment on Thursday, bringing the total number to seven. At least eight People Power Party lawmakers are needed for the two-thirds majority required to impeach Yoon. Even so, the party remains deeply divided and Yoon continues to have the backing of many of their lawmakers.
