South Korea’s ruling party has announced that it will rally behind embattled President Yun Seok-Yeol and block opposition parties’ efforts to impeach him over his controversial failure to impose martial law.
The leader of the People Power Party vowed on Thursday that MPs would “unite” to defeat an opposition-led motion to impeach the highly unpopular party leader.
“All 108 members of the People’s Power Party will continue to unite to reject the impeachment of the president,” Choo Kyung-ho said at a live-streamed party meeting.
In order for opposition members to pass an impeachment bill, they need eight ruling party members to vote in favor. Opposition parties say a vote will be held on Saturday.
But it remained unclear Thursday whether members of Yun’s party would have enough support to avoid impeachment, as the embattled president tries to fend off criticism of his actions.
Yun declared martial law in a sudden late-night televised speech on Tuesday night, saying martial law was necessary to protect the country from “anti-national forces” and the “threat posed by North Korea,” plunging the country into political turmoil. Ta. He did not provide details of the threat.
Within hours, he was forced to rescind the order as lawmakers resisted the attempted military blockade and rallied to reject the bill.
On Thursday, Health Minister Cho Kyoh-hon, who had attended a cabinet meeting just before Yoon’s shocking announcement, said he disagreed with Yoon’s declaration.
Cho told the National Assembly that the declaration was illegal and unconstitutional, but claimed he could not recall whether any ministers opposed Yoon at the cabinet meeting. “I was very surprised and panicked,” he said, according to Yonhap News. “To be honest, I don’t remember who said what.”
On Thursday morning, Yun accepted the resignation of Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and appointed Choi Byung-hyuk, the ambassador to Saudi Arabia, as the new defense minister.
Details of the chaos that led to one of the most dramatic episodes in the modern history of South Korea, Asia’s fourth-largest economy and a key ally of the United States, are emerging as Mr. Yoon tries to contain the fallout. It’s here.
In response to this declaration, which aims to ban political activities in South Korea and censor the media, armed groups tried to force their way into the National Assembly Building in Seoul, but were forced to leave after National Assembly aides sprayed them with fire extinguishers.
Vice Defense Minister Kim Seong-ho claimed he was not informed of the plan in advance, adding that the decision to send troops to the National Assembly building had been made by the outgoing defense minister.
Kim Seong-ho opposed the deployment of the military and said he did not agree with Yoon’s description of the parliament as a “den of criminals” during a televised speech.
Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said Yun had made a “terrible misjudgment” in deciding to declare martial law, a decision that surprised even the White House.
He said South Korea was in a “difficult situation” in the coming months and that the U.S. goal would be to make clear that the alliance with South Korea was “absolutely rock-solid.”
The opposition requires a two-thirds majority to pass an impeachment bill. If passed, South Korea’s Constitutional Court would decide whether to uphold the motion, a process that could take up to 180 days.
“The people and their aides who protected the Congress put their bodies on the line to protect us.” Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Seung-won said, “The people won, so now it’s time for us to protect them.”
“President Yoon must be suspended from office immediately. He has committed an indelible and historic crime against the people, and in order for them to return to their daily lives, it is necessary to allay the people’s fears. ”
If Yoon is suspended from exercising power, Prime Minister Han Do-soo will take his place.
If the embattled president resigns or is removed from office, new elections will be held within 60 days.
In South Korea, there was no immediate reaction from North Korea to this drama.
Yun had been embraced by Western leaders as a partner in the U.S.-led effort to unify democracies against growing authoritarianism in countries such as China and Russia.
However, he labeled his critics as “communist totalitarians and anti-national forces,” causing unrest among South Koreans. In November, he denied any wrongdoing over allegations of widespread influence over him and his wife, and has also taken a tough stance on trade unions.
Reuters contributed to this report
