Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s Constitutional Power Suspension Supported by Governing Party Chief of South Korea

South Korea’s governing party head supports suspending President Yoon’s powers, making impeachment more likely

Highlights:

• Yoon Suk Yeol, the South Korean President, has been supported by Han Dong-hun, the chief of the governing party of South Korea, on the suspension of the constitution to declare martial law.
• Alternative parties are forcing a parliamentary vote on the impeachment of Yoon, referring to the short-lived declaration of martial law as an, ‘unconstitutional illegal rebellion-coup.’
• The impeachment motion can only pass into the two-thirds majority required with the help of some members of the president’s People Power Party.
• The unrest due to Yoon’s martial law decree has frozen South Korean politics and deterred neighbors such as Japan and the United States.
• Demonstrations were held in Seoul since Wednesday that clamored for Yoon’s resignation along with investigation.
• Vice Minister of South Korea Defense Kim Seon Ho promised that the ministry would have “active cooperation” for investigation regarding the military’s role in Yoon’s imposition of martial law.
• Enforcement of martial law will not be demanded by the Defence Ministry and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
• In case of Yoon’s impeachment, he would be put on suspension until the Constitutional Court decides whether to remove him from office or reinstate his presidential powers again.
• The leader of the liberal opposition Democratic Party, Lee Jae-myung, underscored the need to suspend Yoon as much as possible, adding that the enforcement of martial law by Yoon is “rebellion and also a self-coup.”