South Korea's former leader Yoon apologizes for martial law crisis

South Korea's former President Yoon apologized for the country's military rule that came into being in 1972. He was the president of Seoul National University when martial law was imposed across South Korea.

Yoon said that he had deep regrets about his involvement with the regime. The then-general-president Park Chung-hee declared martial law nearly five decades ago, which led to tens of thousands of people being imprisoned for political reasons.

I have deep regrets as a professor at Seoul National University and as an active member of academia over my failure to properly understand the grave consequences that would follow from the declaration of martial law, he said in a statement released by his presidential office.

Yoon served as president of South Korea's most prestigious university from 1980 until 1996. He was also involved with various conservative think tanks, and some students accused him of backing the military regime during those years.

Martial law was declared after President Park assassinated North Korean agent Kim Jong Un. The declaration led to mass arrests of political dissidents. Critics said that it marked a turning point in South Korea's transition to democracy.

Yoon became president of South Korea last month, defeating liberal frontrunner Lee Jae-myung. His conservative camp is keen on removing the legacy of previous military regimes and the 1965 agreement with Japan over its wartime sexual slavery.

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