South Korean Oppn Plans New Impeachment Push To Oust President: Top Points
South Korea's leadership crisis deepened on Sunday as the country's main opposition party said that it would try again to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol after his short-lived attempt to impose martial law. Mr Yoon averted impeachment late Saturday.
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- Lee Jae-myung, leader of Korea's main opposition Democratic Party (DP), said they will try to impeach the President again on December 14, if he doesn't resign before that. Mr Yoon averted an impeachment attempt late on Saturday. The proposed impeachment motion by Opposition parties needed 200 votes in the 300-member parliament to pass. However, a near-total boycott by Mr Yoon's People Power Party (PPP) doomed it to failure.
- However, the leader of Mr Yoon's party said the president would effectively be excluded from his duties before eventually stepping down. The leader of the PPP, Han Dong-hoon, told a press conference, alongside Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, on Sunday that Mr Yoon would not be involved in foreign and other state affairs before his early resignation.
- On Saturday before the vote, 63-year-old Yoon reappeared for the first time in three days and apologised for the "anxiety and inconvenience" caused by his declaration of martial law. But he stopped short of stepping down, saying he would leave it to his party to decide his fate. His party leader said the comments were effectively a promise to leave office early, adding that the ruling party would consult with the prime minister to manage state affairs.
- That proposal, which appeared to win tacit approval from the Yoon-appointed Prime Minister, drew condemnation from opposition lawmakers who said it was another unconstitutional power grab to delegate authority without resignation or impeachment. The main opposition DP called for the immediate suspension of Mr Yoon's presidential duties and for stripping him of authority to control the military. It also called for the arrest of the President and related military officials implicated in the martial law fiasco.
- National Assembly speaker Woo Won-shik also said it was unconstitutional to delegate presidential authority to the prime minister and the ruling party without impeachment. Woo proposed a meeting of rival parties to discuss ways to suspend Yoon's presidential power immediately.
- Meanwhile, police arrested Kim Yong-hyun, the former defence minister of South Korea. Mr Kim had resigned after the brief dramatic imposition of martial law in the country earlier this week. The Asian nation's interior minister Lee Sang-min has also resigned. Both they and Mr Yoon are being investigated for alleged insurrection.
- Yonhap news agency reported that prosecutors had "booked" President Yoon, a process in South Korea that involves formally naming subjects of investigation. This came after three minority opposition parties filed a complaint with the prosecution against Mr Yoon, ex-Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun and martial law commander Park An-su, accusing them of insurrection. The crime of leading an insurrection is punishable by death or life imprisonment, with or without prison labour.
- Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said on Sunday the cabinet would do its best to "maintain trust with our allies", referring to the United States and Japan. In an effort to reassure the public, multiple military leaders, including the acting defence minister, have stated they would refuse any orders to impose another round of martial law.
- Meanwhile, protests continue in South Korea as massive crowds -- police said there were 150,000 people, organisers one million -- gathered outside parliament to pressure lawmakers to oust the president. Many wore elaborate outfits, carrying homemade flags and waving colourful glow sticks and LED candles as K-pop tunes blasted from speakers.
- Yoon shocked the nation on Tuesday night when he imposed martial law, giving the military sweeping emergency powers to root out what he called "anti-state forces" and obstructionist political opponents. He rescinded the order six hours later, after parliament defied military and police cordons to vote unanimously against the decree.
