Opposition party lawmakers have begun impeachment proceedings against President Yoon Seok-yeol for failing to declare martial law.
The country woke up to an uncertain reality on Wednesday after unprecedented scenes of Mr. Yoon unexpectedly declaring martial law, 190 lawmakers meeting to vote down the martial law, and the decision being suddenly reversed. About 6 hours later.
After introducing When the impeachment bill was submitted, Korea’s main opposition party, the Democratic Party, criticized Prosecutor General Yoon’s initial declaration of martial law as an “act of rebellion.”
The National Assembly must vote Whether to impeach Rep. Yoon by Saturday.
Democratic Party central committee member Kim Yong-jin said, “We can no longer allow democracy to collapse,” and added, “The lives and safety of the people must be protected.”
The party also announced that it wanted to indict Mr. Yoon for ‘crime of treason.’
Minister Kim Yong-hyun and Minister of Government Administration and Home Affairs Lee Sang-min were designated as ‘key participants’ in the declaration of martial law., He said he wanted to be indicted along with Mr. Yoon.
However, Yonhap News reported that the People Power Party, to which Chairman Yoon belongs, agreed to oppose his impeachment.
For the opposition party to pass a bill, at least 8 out of 108 ruling party lawmakers must support it.
In the early hours of this morning, not a single member of the ruling party attended the motion at the plenary session of the National Assembly.
Schools, banks, and government offices in Seoul Business as usual But protests continued across the city on Wednesday calling for the president’s resignation.
Some citizens filled the streets shouting, “Arrest Yoon Seok-yeol.”
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, Korea’s largest labor organization, declared that it would go on an indefinite strike until the president resigns.
Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun tendered his resignation on Wednesday and said he would take full responsibility for declaring martial law. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a statement, “We apologize to the public for spreading confusion and causing concern.”.
Senior Yoon’s associates, including Chief of Staff Jeong Jin-seok and National Security Office Director Shin Won-sik, also attended. I submitted my resignation.
Whether or not CEO Yoon’s resignation will be accepted? It’s unclear.
The shocking twist of order on Wednesday morning comes after dramatic scenes emerged overnight.
When Rep. Yoon declared martial law, hundreds of troops rushed into the National Assembly while military helicopters patrolled around the National Assembly.
Some opposition party members broke barricades and climbed fences to enter polling places. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik told BBC Korea that he rushed to the National Assembly because he thought, “democracy must be preserved.”
at last, 190 lawmakers went inside to avoid the police cordon and voted against the order.
Thousands of protesters We arrived at the main gate of the National Assembly. A woman was captured on video grabbing a soldier’s gun..
Democratic Party spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong said in an interview with the BBC, “I was scared at first, but after seeing this confrontation, I thought, ‘I can’t remain silent.'”
Prosecutor General Yoon’s second announcement that he was reversing his previous order was met with cheers from protesters outside the National Assembly.
Candidate Yoon, who was elected by the narrowest margin in history and whose approval rating hit an all-time low, said he declared martial law out of concern about North Korean communist forces taking power.
The Blue House defended this decision as being made “strictly within the (country’s) constitutional framework.” It said Wednesday’s announcement was timely to “minimize the damage” to the economy and people’s lives.
South Korea’s allies expressed alarm over the incident, and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell expressed “grave concern.”
The United States and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte welcomed the rescinded order on Wednesday. Rutte said he demonstrated a commitment to the rule of law and affirmed the alliance’s “strong” ties with South Korea.
How is impeachment carried out in Korea?
When an impeachment bill is proposed, two-thirds of the 300 members of the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea must vote for impeachment, which is equivalent to at least 200 votes. Voting must occur within 72 hours.
If the impeachment bill is passed, the President is immediately suspended from office and the Prime Minister becomes Acting President.
A trial will then be held before the nine-member Constitutional Court, which oversees South Korea’s government ministries. This process can take up to 180 days.
If six of the judges vote in favor of impeachment, the president will be removed from office.
Were other Korean presidents also impeached?
In 2016, then-President Park Geun-hye was impeached on charges of bribery, abuse of state power, and leaking state secrets.
In 2004, another South Korean president, Roh Moo-hyun, was impeached and suspended for two months. Afterwards, the Constitutional Court reinstated him.
If Rep. Yoon resigns or is impeached, the government must hold an election within 60 days to elect a new leader to begin a five-year term.
The history of the Republic of Korea with martial law
According to South Korea’s constitution, the president has the power to declare martial law in the event of war, armed conflict, or other national emergency.
The last time martial law was declared in the country was in 1979, when longtime military dictator Park Chung-hee was assassinated in a coup.
A group of military leaders led by General Chun Doo-hwan declared martial law in 1980, banning political activity and arresting dissidents.
Hundreds of people were killed in the crackdown on protesters before martial law was lifted in 1981.
Martial law has not been invoked since South Korea established a parliamentary democracy in 1987.
Yoon On Tuesday, he pulled the trigger, saying he was trying to save the country from ‘anti-state forces’..
But some analysts described his move as an attempt to thwart political opposition.
Prosecutor General Yoon became a lame duck president after the opposition party won an overwhelming victory in the general election in April this year. His government was unable to pass the legislation it wanted and was reduced to rejecting bills proposed by the opposition.
The president’s approval rating this year hit an all-time low of 17%. caught up in a series of scandals.
Additional reporting was by Woongbi Lee in Seoul and Frances Mao and Mallory Moench in London.