South Korean lawmakers will meet again to discuss whether to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed bid to impose martial law.
A week after the first attempt to oust Yun failed, the National Assembly is expected to vote on Saturday around 4 pm local time on whether to impeach him for “rebellious behavior that undermines the constitutional order.”
Impeachment requires 200 votes to pass, meaning opposition lawmakers must convince eight members of Yoon Eun-hye’s conservative People’s Power Party (PPP) to change their stance. As of Friday, seven ruling party lawmakers had pledged support for impeachment, with the outcome of the vote still pending.
Thousands of South Koreans took to the streets of Seoul, demanding Mr Yoon resign and be jailed, after soldiers and helicopters were sent to parliament during Mr Yoon’s brief martial law. Lawmakers reacted quickly, breaking through military cordons and gathering in parliament to vote down the declaration.
A pro-impeachment rally is expected to gather near Parliament at noon on Saturday. Organizers promised to hand out food and banners to protesters to boost their spirits amid the cold December weather. Yuri, the K-pop star of Girls’ Generation, whose song “Enter the New World” has become a protest anthem, said she had prepaid for food for fans attending the rally. “Be safe and take care of your health!” she said online.
Yoon vowed to fight “until the last moment” and doubled down on unsubstantiated claims that the opposition is colluding with South Korea’s communist enemies.
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the opposition Democratic Party, pleaded with ruling People’s Party lawmakers to support “the people crying in the cold streets.” Two People’s Party MPs supported the motion in last week’s vote.
“History will remember and record your choices,” Li said.
Opposition lawmaker Kim Min-seok said on Friday he was “99%” sure the impeachment motion would pass.
If the bill is approved, Yoon will be suspended while South Korea’s Constitutional Court reviews it. South Korean Prime Minister Han Deok-soo will serve as interim president. The court will have 180 days to rule on Yin’s future.
If he supports the removal of Yoon Eun-hye, he will become the second president in South Korean history to be successfully impeached.
There is precedent for courts blocking impeachment: In 2004, then-President Roh Moo-hyun was removed by parliament for alleged electoral law violations and incompetence, but the Constitutional Court later reinstated him.
The court also currently has only six judges, meaning its decisions need to be unanimous.
Kim Hyun-jung, a researcher at Korea University School of Law, said that if the vote fails, Yoon Eun-hye may still face “legal liability” under martial law.
“This was clearly an act of rebellion,” she said. “Even if the impeachment motion fails, the president’s legal liability under criminal law…cannot be avoided.”
As the fallout from his disastrous martial law reign has deepened and investigations into his inner circle have widened, Yoon has been unapologetic and defiant.
On Friday, prosecutors said they had arrested a military commander who led the capital’s defense command.
The Seoul Central District Court also issued arrest warrants for the national police chief and the city police chief, citing “the risk of evidence being destroyed.”
Yoon’s approval rating – never very high – has plummeted to 11%, according to a Gallup Korea poll released on Friday. The same poll showed 75% support impeaching him.
For more than a week, protesters calling for his ouster have spread across every corner of South Korean society: from glow stick-waving K-pop fans to retirees and blue-collar workers.
“Impeachment is necessary and we must fight relentlessly,” said Kim Sung-tae, a 52-year-old worker at an auto parts manufacturer. “We are fighting to restore democracy.”
Teacher Jin Huan Er also agreed. “I’m angry that we all have to pay the price for electing this president.”
with AFP
