SEOUL. South Korea’s ruling party leader, Han Dong-hoon, has called for the immediate suspension of President Yoon Suk Yeol, citing the president’s recent attempt to impose martial law, a move that has sparked outrage within the nation. On Friday, the government denied reports claiming that another martial law declaration was in the works, but the political turmoil surrounding Yoon continues to escalate.
On Tuesday, President Yoon stunned the country and his ruling People Power Party (PPP) by granting the military sweeping emergency powers to combat what he described as “anti-state forces” and political opponents. Six hours later, parliament, including some members of his own party, voted against it, swiftly rescinding the order.
However, the political crisis deepened as the main opposition Democratic Party submitted an impeachment motion against Yoon, scheduling a parliamentary vote for Saturday evening. Fearing that Yoon might make another attempt to declare martial law, opposition lawmakers occupied the parliament’s plenary hall on Friday to block any such moves.
Acting Defence Minister Kim Seon-ho denied reports suggesting another martial law declaration was imminent, while Han Dong-hoon expressed growing concerns about the potential for “extreme actions” under Yoon’s leadership. He warned that Yoon’s continued presidency posed “great danger” to the country.
On Thursday, Han suggested that there was “credible evidence” that Yoon had ordered the arrest of political leaders at Gwacheon, just south of Seoul. This claim was later denied by the presidential office. Despite this, Han reiterated his belief that the president’s immediate suspension was necessary to safeguard the Republic of Korea and its people.
“I believe that President Yoon Suk Yeol’s immediate suspension of office is necessary to protect the Republic of Korea and its people in light of the newly revealed facts,” Han said, though he did not directly call for impeachment or comment on reporters’ queries about his stance on the matter.
Some PPP members urged Yoon to resign voluntarily, fearing a repeat of the 2016 impeachment of then-President Park Geun-hye, which resulted in the collapse of the conservative party and a victory for the liberals in subsequent elections. “We cannot impeach the president tomorrow and hand over the regime to Lee Jae-Myung’s Democratic Party,” PPP lawmaker Yoon Sang-hyun said.
For an impeachment to succeed, the motion requires support from two-thirds of the 300-member assembly. With Yoon’s party holding 108 seats, at least eight members would need to side with the opposition for the motion to pass.
If the impeachment vote is successful, Yoon would be suspended from office until a trial is held by the Constitutional Court, with the prime minister assuming leadership in an acting capacity.
President Yoon has remained out of the public eye since rescinding the martial law declaration early Wednesday and did not attend the PPP meeting on Friday. Rumors circulated that he was on his way to parliament, prompting opposition lawmakers to barricade the main lobby in an effort to block his entry. The assembly speaker even requested that Yoon refrain from attending parliament, a request his office later denied.
Investigations into the martial law decision have been launched by national police, and government and military prosecutors are jointly investigating the president’s actions. Kim Yong-hyun, the defence minister who allegedly encouraged the martial law declaration, has since resigned. Meanwhile, three army commanders have been suspended, and military prosecutors are working to bar ten officers from traveling overseas.
Amid this political chaos, details are emerging about the events of Tuesday night, which have brought painful memories of South Korea’s history of military rule. Kwak Jong-geun, the special warfare commander, revealed that he disobeyed an order from Kim to drag lawmakers out of parliament. “I knew it would be disobedience, but I did not order that mission. I told them not to go in,” Kwak said. He also ordered his troops to refrain from using live ammunition.
The opposition Democratic Party has strongly condemned the president’s actions, with spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong declaring that the people had already “psychologically impeached” Yoon. Images of Ahn grappling with a soldier outside parliament on Tuesday became symbolic of the nation’s resistance to the martial law attempt. “Who could trust a president declaring martial law almost like a child playing games or entrust the nation to such leadership?” Ahn said.
According to a Gallup Korea poll released on Friday, Yoon’s approval rating has plummeted to a record low of 13%, further complicating his political standing amid the growing unrest.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
