By Hyonhee Shin and Ju-min Park
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stated on Thursday he would “combat to the tip” as his personal political celebration moved nearer to voting with the opposition to question him over his transient order to martial legislation which overthrew the American ally. within the turmoil.
In a prolonged televised speech, he claimed that North Korea had hacked South Korea’s election fee, casting doubt on his celebration’s crushing defeat in April’s election.
Yoon, whose nation has Asia’s fourth-largest economic system, hopes his political allies will rally to help him, however that appears much less possible after his speech. The chief of the ruling Folks Energy Get together (PPP) stated the time had come for Yoon to resign or be impeached by Parliament.
On Wednesday night, six opposition events led by the Democratic Get together submitted a invoice to Parliament to question Yoon. A vote is predicted on Saturday, every week after the primary vote failed as a result of a boycott by most PPP members.
A minimum of seven celebration members are anticipated to help the brand new impeachment movement. A minimum of eight PPP votes are wanted to realize the two-thirds majority required to take away Yoon.
Yoon stated the opposition was “dancing the sword dance of insanity” by attempting to oust a democratically elected president from energy, 9 days after his failed try and grant sweeping powers to the army.
“I’ll combat to the tip,” he stated. “Whether or not they indict me or examine me, I’ll face all of it head on.”
The remarks had been his first since he apologized Saturday and stated he would go away his destiny within the arms of his celebration.
His provocative new feedback elevate the chance that Yoon, a profession prosecutor and authorized skilled, has determined to attempt his luck in courtroom, hoping to make a comeback.
“It appears he simply does not need to resign and is attempting to hold on as a result of he nonetheless thinks he did the appropriate factor,” stated Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji College.
A vote to question Yoon would ship the matter to the Constitutional Court docket, which has as much as six months to determine whether or not to take away him from workplace or reinstate him.
Within the newest signal that Yoon is dropping his grip on energy, PPP chief Han Dong-hoon instructed a gathering of celebration members on Thursday that they need to be a part of the opposition to take away the president.
The celebration stays divided and Yoon nonetheless enjoys the help of some PPP lawmakers who oppose impeachment.
Yoon can be beneath felony investigation for alleged revolt following the Dec. 3 declaration of martial legislation, which he rescinded hours later, sparking South Korea’s greatest political disaster since many years.
In feedback echoing his rationale for declaring a state of emergency, Yoon stated “felony teams” which have paralyzed state affairs and disrupted the rule of legislation have to be prevented in any respect prices. to take energy.
He criticized the opposition Democratic Get together for blocking a few of his proposals and demanding that his spouse be investigated for alleged wrongdoing. He offered no proof of felony exercise.
A member of the Democratic Get together management, Kim Min-seok, stated Yoon’s speech was a “show of utmost delusion” and urged members of the president’s celebration to hitch the impeachment vote.
NORTH KOREAN HACK
Yoon spoke at size about an alleged hacking of the Nationwide Election Fee (NEC) by communist-run North Korea final yr, with out citing proof.
He stated the assault was detected by the Nationwide Intelligence Service, however the fee, an unbiased company, refused to completely cooperate with an investigation and inspection of its system.
The hack sowed doubt concerning the integrity of the April 2024 election – which his celebration misplaced in a landslide – and led him to declare martial legislation, he stated.
The fee stated that by elevating suspicions of election irregularities, Yoon was committing a “counterproductive act towards an election monitoring system that elected himself president.”
The NEC stated it consulted with the intelligence company final yr to deal with “safety vulnerabilities,” however there was no indication {that a} hack by North Korea compromised the electoral system.
Yoon received the presidency in March 2022 by the narrowest margin in South Korea’s democratic historical past.
Troops entered the election fee’s laptop server room after Yoon declared martial legislation, officers stated and confirmed closed-circuit tv footage. It was unclear whether or not they had eliminated any gear.
Yoon defended his resolution to declare martial legislation as a symbolic measure meant to denounce an opposition plot to “fully destroy the nation.”
He denied ordering the blockade of Parliament or attempting to forestall it from functioning.
This contradicts the testimony of a army officer who was ordered by Yoon to enter Parliament and evict lawmakers gathered to vote to overturn the declaration of martial legislation.
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