Monday 16 / December / 2024
South Korea's opposition Democratic Party on Thursday introduced a bill to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his brief declaration of martial law, while ministers began tendering resignations.
"The Yoon regime's declaration of emergency martial law caused great confusion and fear among our people," Democratic Party member Kim Seung-won told the National Assembly as the impeachment motion was tabled.
"The people and the aides who protected parliament protected us with their bodies. The people won, and it's now time for us to protect the people," he continued.
"We need to immediately suspend the authority of President Yoon. He has committed an indelible, historic crime against the people, whose anxiety needs to be soothed so that they can return to their daily lives."
According to the South Korean Yonhap news agency, the opposition is seeking a vote by Saturday.
By law, the motion will be scrapped if it isn't voted on within 72 hours of its parliamentary introduction.
Yoon's party to oppose impeachment bill
Yoon's ruling People Power Party (PPP) has stated its intention to oppose the motion, but the opposition needs only eight defections for the bill to pass.
18 PPP lawmakers already voted to rescind Yoon's martial law order in an emergency sitting in the early hours of Wednesday morning, and party leader Han Dong-hun has called the President's actions "unconstitutional."
Nevertheless, he said his party will still vote against impeachment to prevent "prevent damage to citizens and supporters caused by unprepared chaos."
If Yoon were to be impeached and suspended from exercising power, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo would fill in as leader, according to South Korea's constitution.
Were he to resign or be otherwise removed from office, new elections would be held within 60 days.
Ministerial resignations
In the meantime, Yoon on Thursday accepted the resignation of Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, who initially proposed the idea of declaring martial law – according to both the impeachment filings and one senior military official.
Yoon has nominated Choi Byung-hyuk, a retired four-star general and currently South Korea's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, as a replacement.
The finance, education and justice ministers are also planning to resign from their posts, according to Yonhap.
The moves come 24 hours on from a night of chaos in Seoul when Yoon took the unprecedented decision to declare martial law, only to lift it a few hours later following a unanimous vote by the National Assembly.
The vote took place in an emergency midnight sitting as parliamentary aides kept armed troops out of the chamber using furniture blockades and fire extinguishers.
