“Hong Joon-pyo, the mayor of Daegu, has claimed that allegations of ‘insurrection’ related to President Yoon Seok-yeol’s declaration of martial law are a conspiratorial strategy by the Democratic Party to expedite their push for an early presidential election.
On November 11, Hong stated on his Facebook, ‘When I heard about the martial law declaration, I initially thought of it as an unexpected late-night incident and advised for it to be managed well. However, the Democratic Party is now packaging it as a rebellion charge to incite the public and the media.’
He continued by questioning, ‘Is it right to legally scrutinize a political issue? I believe one must consider several points of doubt,’ such as whether a president, already in office, would have a government to seize; whether the proclamation of martial law, a presidential authority and a high level of political act, could be considered insurrection; whether an inappropriate judgment of reasons for martial law directly connects to a charge of rebellion; whether repeated impeachment motions by the opposition causing national paralysis, including impeaching the prosecutor investigating yourself, is not legislative violence disrupting state order; whether the competitive investigations by prosecutors, police, and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials resemble the hyena-like actions against waning power; and whether framing it as insurrection, similar to former President Moon Jae-in’s cleansing of past misdeeds, is the opposition’s attempt to sway public opinion towards impeachment.
Hong further remarked, ‘The actions fall eerily similar to the impeachment process of former President Park Geun-hye, which can only be seen as a burden for President Yoon and Lee Hoon of the People Power Party.’
He concluded, ‘The final judgment does not lie with investigative agencies but with the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court according to the constitution. This martial law declaration could possibly fall under abuse of power but framing it as insurrection seems like a conspiratorial strategy to promote an early presidential election driven by Lee Jae-myung’s judicial risks due to lack of time.’
He warned, ‘Do not be swayed by incitement. Judge rationally and coldly. We have already experienced collective madness driven by incitement during the impeachment of Park Geun-hye.'”