Context:
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.”
