South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday lashed out at his political opponents as "anti-state forces", said North Korea has hacked the country's elections and defended his short-lived martial law order as a legal move to protect democracy.

President Yoon Suk Yeol said that he declared martial law to protect the country's democracy.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday vowed to fight "until the very last minute", defending his shock decision last week to declare martial law and deploy troops to the country's parliament The South Korean leader is banned from foreign travel as part of an "insurrection" probe into his inner circle over the dramatic events of December 3-4 that stunned South Korea's allies.