South Korea The leader of the ruling party on Friday expressed support for the suspension of the president's constitutional powers Yoon Suk Yeol for imposing martial law this week, in an explosive reversal that Yoon's impeachment more likely.
Opposition parties are pushing for a parliamentary vote on Yoon's impeachment on Saturday, calling his short-lived declaration of martial law an “unconstitutional and illegal rebellion or coup.” But they need the support of some members of the president's People Power Party to obtain the two-thirds majority required to pass the impeachment motion.
The unrest resulting from Yoon's nightly martial law decree has frozen South Korean politics and sparked concern among neighbors, including Japan, another democracy, and Seoul's main ally, the United States, l One of Asia's strongest democracies faces a political crisis that could topple its country. chief.
At a party meeting, PPP leader Han Dong-hun stressed the need to quickly suspend Yoon's presidential duties and power, saying he posed a “significant risk of extreme actions, such as new attempt to impose martial law, which could potentially put the Republic of Korea and its citizens in great danger.
Han said he received reports that Yoon had ordered the country's defense counterintelligence commander to arrest and detain unspecified key politicians on charges of “anti-state activities” when martial law was in effect.
“I believe that an immediate suspension of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s official duties is necessary to protect the Republic of Korea and its people,” Han said.
Yoon's impeachment would require the support of 200 of the 300 members of the National Assembly. The opposition parties that jointly filed the impeachment motion have a total of 192 seats. The PPP has 108 legislators.
If Yoon is impeached, he will be suspended until the Constitutional Court rules on whether to remove him from office or restore his presidential power. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the country's second-ranking official, would assume presidential responsibilities.
The Defense Ministry said it had suspended defense counterintelligence commander Yeo In-hyung, who Han said had received orders from Yoon to arrest the politicians. The ministry also suspended Lee Jin-woo, commander of the Capital Defense Command, and Kwak Jong-geun, commander of the Special Warfare Command, for their involvement in enforcing martial law.
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In a closed-door news briefing to lawmakers, Hong Jang-won, first deputy director of South Korea's National Intelligence Service, said Yoon called after he imposed martial law and ordered him to help the defense counterintelligence unit to arrest key politicians. The targeted politicians included Han, opposition leader Lee Jae-myung and National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik, said Kim Byung-kee, one of the lawmakers at the meeting. Kim said Hong told lawmakers he ignored Yoon's orders.
The spy agency's director, Cho Taeyong, questioned Hong's account. Cho told reporters that such an order would have come to him rather than to Hong, and that he had never received an order from Yoon to arrest politicians.
Han had earlier said he would work to defeat the impeachment motion, even as he criticized Yoon's declaration of martial law as “unconstitutional.” Han said it was necessary to “prevent harm to citizens and supporters from unprepared chaos.”
Thousands of protesters have marched through the streets of Seoul since Wednesday, calling for Yoon's resignation and an investigation.
Thousands of auto workers and other members of the Korean Metalworkers Union, one of the country's largest labor groups, have gone on hourly strikes since Thursday to protest Yoon. The union said its members would go on indefinite strikes starting Dec. 11 if Yoon was still in office at that time.
Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon Ho pledged the ministry's “active cooperation” in an investigation by prosecutors into the military's role in Yoon's enforcement of martial law. He said military prosecutors would also be involved in the investigation. He denied media speculation that Yoon and his military confidants might consider imposing martial law a second time.
“Even if there is a request to implement martial law, the Defense Ministry and the Joint Chiefs of Staff will absolutely not accept it,” Kim said.
Kim became acting defense minister after Yoon's office on Thursday accepted the resignation of Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, who was also banned from traveling while he is under investigation on the imposition of martial law.
Opposition parties and Han say it was Kim Yong Hyun who recommended Yoon declare martial law. At a parliamentary hearing on Thursday, Kim Seon Ho said Kim Yong Hyun also ordered the deployment of troops to the National Assembly after Yoon imposed martial law.
Han leads a minority faction within the ruling party, and 18 lawmakers from his faction voted with opposition lawmakers to overturn Yoon's martial law decree. Martial law ultimately lasted about six hours, after its quick reversal by the National Assembly forced Yoon's cabinet to lift it before dawn on Wednesday.
The leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, Lee Jae-myung, said in a televised speech on Friday that it was crucial to suspend Yoon as “quickly as possible”.
Lee said Yoon's application of martial law amounted to “a rebellion and also a self-coup.” He said Yoon's decision caused serious damage to the country's image and crippled foreign policy, highlighting criticism from the Biden administration and foreign leaders who canceled visits to South Korea.
Yoon did not immediately respond to Han's comments. He has not made a public appearance since announcing on television that his martial law decree was being lifted.
Attorney General Shim Woo Jung told reporters that the prosecution planned to investigate the rebellion charges against Yoon following complaints filed by the opposition. Although the president generally enjoys immunity from prosecution while in office, this protection does not extend to allegations of rebellion or treason. It was not immediately clear how the prosecution plans to continue the investigation into Yoon.
The Democratic Party is also considering filing charges against PPP leader Choo Kyung-ho, whom the opposition party accuses of trying to facilitate Yoon's application of martial law.
Choo, a Yoon loyalist, had asked party lawmakers to meet at party headquarters rather than the National Assembly after martial law took effect. This means fewer lawmakers were present during Parliament's vote on lifting martial law.
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