Budget minister nominee Lee Hye-hoon apologized for her past remarks that appeared to support former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration.

Speaking to reporters as she arrived for work in central Seoul on Tuesday, Lee issued a formal apology, saying the insurrection was an illegal act that undermines democracy. She acknowledged that she had misjudged the situation at the time and failed to understand its seriousness.

She bowed her head in apology to all those who struggled to overcome the crisis amid last winter’s severe cold.

Lee said she bore full responsibility for not responding more courageously during what she described as a constitutional crisis, and admitted that she had been trapped in partisan thinking during her political activities.

The nominee stressed that she would not offer excuses for her poor judgment and emphasized that accountability lay with her alone.

Her apology came a day after President Lee Jae Myung said the nominee would need to fully explain her past comments that appeared to support Yoon’s martial law action.