By Walter Denmon

South Korea’s impeached president defended his martial law decree as a desperate bid to promote public awareness of the danger of the opposition-controlled parliament, and vowed Tuesday to push for political reform if reinstated.

President Yoon Suk Yeol made his final statement at the Constitutional Court as it wrapped up oral arguments in his impeachment trial. The court is expected to rule by mid-March on whether to remove Yoon from office or reinstate his presidential powers.

The liberal opposition-controlled National Assembly impeached Yoon, a conservative, after his Dec. 3 martial law decree plunged the country into political turmoil, shook its financial markets and hurt its international image. He has been separately arrested and indicted on rebellion charges in connection with his short-lived decree. The rebellion charge carries the death penalty or life imprisonment if convicted.

Yoon has denied any wrongdoing and blamed the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, which obstructed his agenda and impeached top officials, for the political crisis. During his marital law announcement, Yoon called the assembly “a den of criminals” and “anti-state forces.”

“The reason why I declared martial law was because of a desperation as I could no longer neglect a do-or-die crisis facing this country,” Yoon said. “I tried to inform the people of these anti-state acts of wickedness by the mammoth opposition party and appealed to the people to stop it with their surveillance and criticism.”

After declaring martial law, Yoon sent troops and police officers to the assembly, but enough lawmakers still managed to enter an assembly chamber to vote down Yoon’s decree unanimously, forcing his Cabinet to lift it.

Yoon insists that he had no intentions of disrupting assembly work and that deploying troops and police was meant to maintain order. But some commanders of military units sent to the assembly have told assembly hearings or investigators that Yoon ordered them to drag out lawmakers to prevent them from overturning his decree.

Massive rallies by opponents and supporters of Yoon have divided the streets of Seoul and other major South Korea cities. Whatever the Constitutional Court decides, experts say it will likely further polarize the country and intensify its conservative-liberal divide. If Yoon is formally thrown out of office, a national election must take place within two months to find his successor.

During more than an hour of testimony Tuesday, Yoon said that he would push for political reforms and a constitutional revision to change the current presidential system, if he regains his presidential powers.

He suggested he could step down early before his single five-year terms ends in 2027 in the course of promoting political reform. It’s unclear whether and how Yoon’s statement could affect the court's ruling.

South Korea adopted the current system that limits a president to a single five-year term in 1987, ending decades of military-backed dictatorships. After Yoon’s martial law stunt, there have been calls to change it. Some favor a parliamentary Cabinet system, others want a U.S.-style setup in which a president can run for a second four-year term, or a system in which a president and prime minister split key responsibilities.

By Hannah Pantos

The UAE Banks Federation (UBF) recently organized the fourth edition of the “Cyber Wargaming 2025” event under the supervision of the Central Bank of the UAE and the UAE Cybersecurity Council. The event, the largest of its kind in the Middle East, saw participation from representatives of central banks across the GCC, leading banks, financial and technological institutions, cybersecurity experts, and senior banking and financial sector executives. In his keynote address, Dr.Mohammed Hamad Al Kuwaiti, Chairman of the Cybersecurity Council, emphasized that enhancing cybersecurity and protecting the nation’s digital achievements are top priorities for all partners. He highlighted the UAE’s significant investments in developing advanced infrastructure, building institutions on innovative foundations, and focusing on capacity building. The Cyber Wargaming event focuses on conducting simulations to assess cybersecurity teams’ capabilities to handle cyberattacks, identify strengths, and uncover vulnerabilities.

UAE boosts cybersecurity with simulations

The virtual attacks were designed to enhance knowledge about the techniques, methods, and procedures used by attackers, as well as the factors representing sources of threats. Jamal Saleh, Director General of the UBF, said that the federation considers cybersecurity a top priority due to the rapid adoption and deployment of advanced technologies in the banking and financial sector, which have increased risks related to transaction security and digital infrastructure.

Abdullah Matar Al Muhairi, Head of the Banking Supervision Department at the Central Bank of the UAE, said that the Central Bank is committed to ensuring the banking and financial sectors’ readiness to address any risks that may threaten the sector and its customers. He noted that organizing Cyber Wargaming reflects the banking sector’s ongoing efforts to develop its capabilities and provide the best conditions for customers to benefit from the achievements of digital transformation. The Cyber Wargaming 2025 event featured specialized sessions for cybersecurity teams, technicians, experts, and executives to develop their capabilities in managing various cybersecurity risk scenarios.

The UBF organizes several events and campaigns to raise awareness about fraud risks, anticipate future threats, and proactively address them by providing appropriate solutions to prevent fraud.