President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during the final hearing of his impeachment trial at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of Constitutional Court of Korea

President Yoon Suk Yeol apologized to the public for the chaos arising from his martial law declaration, but defended his actions in the final hearing of his impeachment trial, Tuesday.

"Although I imposed martial law for the sake of the nation and its people, I sincerely apologize for any confusion and inconvenience this may have caused," he said.

But Yoon remained adamant in his stance that his actions were justified, continuing to blame opposition parties for attempting to topple the government, claiming that their relentless pursuit of motions to impeach key government officials and senior prosecutors had led to his declaration of martial law. He also accused opposition parties of endangering national security and social stability, stating that they were blocking the passage of an anti-spy law revision and attempting to abolish the National Security Act.

“External forces like North Korea and anti-state forces within our society are colluding to encroach on our sovereignty and pose a serious threat to national security,” Yoon said. “They are driving our society into conflict and chaos through fake news, misinformation and propaganda.”

The embattled president also said he would pursue constitutional revisions and political reforms if he returns to office.

“I am committed to shaping a constitution and political system that reflect the evolving needs of our society. In doing so, I will also strive to foster national unity throughout the process,” he said, adding that he would not insist on serving his five-year term if reinstated.

It has been 73 days since the National Assembly voted overwhelmingly to impeach Yoon. Since then, Yoon has been suspended from duty and the Constitutional Court has been reviewing the validity of the impeachment motion.

In Tuesday's hearing, the legal teams of both Yoon and the National Assembly, which serves as the prosecution in the impeachment trial, made their final arguments.

Yoon's legal team defended the martial law declaration as an act of governance, reiterating that his decree was legitimate and thus did not violate the Constitution, repeating the president's claim that his action was necessary to counter the opposition's attempts to undermine his government through impeachment efforts and budget cuts.

"I was enlightened by watching the Dec. 3 martial law declaration," Kim Kye-ri, one of Yoon's lawyers, said.

"The anti-state forces sought to overthrow the regime. The martial law declaration was intended to alert the public to the crisis posed by the one-man party's [main opposition Democratic Party of Korea] authoritarian actions, including legislative overreach, media control and efforts to paralyze the judicial system," Kim said.

Yoon has used the term "anti-state forces" frequently to describe the opposition-dominated Assembly.

The president's legal team also claimed that the Assembly compound had not been blocked on the night of martial law — contrary to testimonies from lawmakers and others who said troops and police officers prevented them from entering the compound.

The final hearing for the trial on President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment takes place at the Constitutional Court in central Seoul, Tuesday. Joint Press Corps

The parliamentary impeachment panel accused the president of violating the Constitution by declaring martial law in the absence of a national emergency, as well as ignoring due procedures such as holding a Cabinet meeting and notifying the Assembly.

"The entire nation watched the violent acts of armed soldiers live on television. Yoon ordered the dispatch of troops to the National Assembly and trampled on our Constitution. Yoon, who attempted to destroy democracy, should be impeached," said Rep. Jung Chung-rae, chair of the Assembly's Legislative and Judiciary Committee who leads the panel.

"It is a disgrace that he is relying on his supporters. He has grown delusional, persistently pushing false claims of election fraud."

The team said Yoon is still attempting to unite his supporters, and if he returns to power, no one can guarantee there won't be a second martial law declaration, or a third.

"Yoon has stomped on the democratic, constitutional order that the people of the country have protected," Lee Kwang-beom, a lawyer representing the Assembly, said. "He ignored the opposition, focused on eliminating political rivals and was obsessed with delusions that the general election defeat resulted from election fraud."

Supporters of President Yoon Suk Yeol gather near the Constitutional Court in Seoul, Tuesday, to oppose his impeachment. Yonhap

Outside the court, hundreds of supporters of Yoon held a rally, with some holding signs that read “Stop the Steal,” echoing U.S. President Donald Trump's false claims of voter fraud from when he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden, and “Freedom is Not Free.”

The court is expected to issue its verdict in mid-March, based on precedents from past impeachment cases. In former President Roh Moo-hyun's trial, the court ruled 14 days after the final arguments, while in former President Park Geun-hye's case, the decision came 11 days later.

If the court upholds the impeachment, an election must be held within 60 days to choose a new president.

Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court will rule on the constitutionality of acting President Choi Sang-mok's decision to withhold the appointment of a ninth justice to the bench on Thursday.

Choi appointed two justices to the court in December but held off on the appointment of the opposition-recommended Justice Ma Eun-hyuk, citing a lack of consensus between rival parties.

The appointment of Ma will complete the selection of Constitutional Court judges who will rule on the impeachment motion against Yoon. Under the law, at least six justices must approve an impeachment for it to be upheld, meaning the appointment of an additional justice could raise the likelihood of Yoon's impeachment being upheld.