South Korea’s ruling People Power Party leader Han Dong-hun, right, speaks during a press conference at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, on December 6, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

South Korea’s governing party chief expressed support Friday (December 6, 2024) for suspending the constitutional powers of President Yoon Suk Yeol for imposing martial law this week, in a bombshell reversal that makes Mr. Yoon’s impeachment more likely.

Opposition parties are pushing for a parliamentary vote on Mr. Yoon’s impeachment on Saturday (December 7, 2024), calling his short-lived martial law declaration an “unconstitutional, illegal rebellion or coup.” But they need support from some members of the president’s People Power Party to get the two-thirds majority required to pass the impeachment motion.

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The turmoil resulting from Mr. Yoon’s nighttime martial law decree has frozen South Korean politics and caused worry among neighbours, including fellow democracy Japan, and Seoul’s top ally, the United States, as one of the strongest democracies in Asia faces a political crisis that could unseat its leader.

During a party meeting, PPP leader Han Dong-hun stressed the need to suspend Mr. Yoon’s presidential duties and power swiftly, saying he poses a “significant risk of extreme actions, like reattempting to impose martial law, which could potentially put the Republic of Korea and its citizens in great danger.”

Mr. Han said he had received intelligence that Mr. Yoon had ordered the country’s defence counterintelligence commander to arrest and detain unspecified key politicians based on accusations of “anti-state activities” during the brief period martial law was in force.

“It’s my judgment that an immediate suspension of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s official duties is necessary to protect the Republic of Korea and its people,” Mr. Han said.

Mr. Han earlier said he would work to defeat the impeachment motion even though he criticised Mr. Yoon’s martial law declaration as “unconstitutional.” Mr. Han said there was a need to “prevent damage to citizens and supporters caused by unprepared chaos.”

Protests in Seoul

Thousands of protesters have marched in the streets Seoul since Wednesday, calling for Mr. Yoon to resign and be investigated. Thousands of autoworkers and other members of the Korean Metal Workers’ Union, one of the country’s biggest umbrella labor groups, have started hourly strikes since Thursday to protest Mr. Yoon. The union said its members will start on indefinite strikes beginning on December 11 if Mr. Yoon was still in office then.

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Impeaching Mr. Yoon would require support from 200 of the National Assembly’s 300 members. The opposition parties who jointly brought the impeachment motion have 192 seats combined. PPP has 108 lawmakers.

In a televised statement, South Korean Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon Ho promised the ministry’s “active cooperation” with an investigation by prosecutors into the military’s role in Mr. Yoon’s martial law enforcement. He said military prosecutors will also be involved in the probe. He denied media speculation that Yoon and his military confidantes might consider imposing martial law a second time.

“Even if there’s a demand to enforce martial law, the Ministry of Defence and the Joint Chiefs of Staff will absolutely not accept it,” Mr. Kim said.

Defence Minister recommended martial law

Mr. Kim became the acting defence minister after Mr. Yoon’s office on Thursday accepted the resignation of Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, who has been hit with a travel ban and faces an investigation over his role in Yoon’s imposition of martial law.

Opposition parties and Mr. Han allege that it was Kim Yong Hyun who recommended that Mr. Yoon take the step. During a parliamentary hearing on Thursday, Kim Seon Ho said Kim Yong Hyun also ordered troops to be deployed to the National Assembly after Yoon imposed martial law.

Mr. Han was previously regarded as a close associate of Mr. Yoon as they spent years working together as prosecutors and he served as Mr. Yoon’s first justice minister. But after Mr. Han entered party politics and became PPP leader, their ties soured badly as they differed over how to handle scandals involving Yoon and his wife.

Mr. Han leads a minority faction within the ruling party, and 18 lawmakers in his faction voted with opposition lawmakers to overturn Mr. Yoon’s martial law decree. Martial law ultimately lasted about six hours, after the quick overrule by the National Assembly forced Mr. Yoon’s Cabinet to lift it before daybreak Wednesday.

What happens if Yoon is impeached

If Mr. Yoon is impeached, he would 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 No. 2 official, would take over presidential responsibilities.

The main liberal opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung said in a televised speech Friday that it was crucial to suspend Mr. Yoon as “quickly as possible.”

Mr. Lee said Mr. Yoon’s martial law enforcement amounted to “rebellion and also a self-coup.” He said Mr. Yoon’s move caused serious damage to the country’s image and paralysed foreign policy, pointing to criticism from the Biden administration and foreign leaders canceling their visits to South Korea.

Seoul:

The lawmakers of South Korea’s opposition coalition on Wednesday moved a motion in the Asian country’s Parliament to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol after his shocking imposition of martial law that brought thousands of protesters to the streets.