S. Korean president says to designate Dec. 3 as People's Sovereignty Day

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaks at a press conference in Seoul, South Korea, on Dec. 3, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Wednesday that his government will designate Dec. 3 as People's Sovereignty Day to mark the overcoming of the martial law crisis.

He stressed that the martial law declaration ironically demonstrated the people's high sense of sovereignty and the country's remarkable democratic resilience to the world, as the people ran to the parliament without hesitation after the short-lived martial law imposition.

Lee emphasized the importance of making Dec. 3 a national holiday for an annual reflection, noting that those who destroyed the constitutional order and even attempted to initiate a war for personal gain should be held accountable through the ongoing investigations and trials of insurrection participants.

The former impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol declared emergency martial law on Dec. 3 last year, revoked by the National Assembly hours later.

The constitutional court passed the motion to impeach Yoon in April, ousting him from office.