SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will address the nation on Saturday morning, his office said, ahead of a planned impeachment vote over his attempt to impose martial law this week.
The speech would be the embattled leader's first public appearance since he rescinded the martial law order on Wednesday, just six hours after his declaration, after Parliament defied military and police cordons to vote against the decree.
On Friday, the head of Yoon's People Power Party said the president posed a danger to the country and should be removed from power, increasing pressure on him to resign, even as PPP members subsequently subsequently reaffirmed their formal opposition to his dismissal.
Lawmakers will vote on the main opposition Democratic Party's motion to impeach Yoon, who shocked the nation Tuesday night when he gave the military sweeping emergency powers to stamp out what he called for “anti-state forces” and to defeat obstructionist political opponents.
Some PPP members urged Yoon to resign before the vote, saying they did not want a repeat of the 2016 impeachment of then-President Park Geun-hye, who left office after months of protests by candlelight following an influence peddling scandal. His fall triggered the implosion of the party and the victory of the liberals in the presidential and general elections.
In scenes reminiscent of those protests, thousands of candle-wielding demonstrators gathered outside Parliament on Friday evening to demand Yoon's impeachment.
More protests are expected on Saturday before the vote.
Prosecutors, police and the Senior Officials Corruption Investigation Bureau have all launched investigations into Yoon and senior officials involved in the martial law decree, seeking to pursue charges of insurrection and abuse of power. power, among other things.
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