People take part in a demonstration calling for the resignation of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at the National Assembly in Seoul on December 4, 2024. ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP South Koreans took to the streets on Wednesday December 4, angry at only one man: President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose abortive coup to try to impose martial law in the country shocked the citizens of this young democracy. The streets of the capital Seoul were taken over by thousands of demonstrators and police, while unions called for a general strike, and the opposition demanded the resignation of the president, accusing him of rebellion. With banners calling for the president’s impeachment, candles and handouts of hot drinks, South Koreans marched towards the presidential palace, showing their deep shock, as the opposition filed an impeachment motion in Parliament against the country’s former attorney general. A demonstration in front of the Korean presidential palace dispersed without violence on Wednesday evening, noted photographers from Agence France-Presse present on site. The impeachment motion, which will require a two-thirds majority to be adopted, could be put to a vote as early as Friday, said the six opposition parties represented in Parliament, including the main one, the Democratic Party ( center left). They write that South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol “severely and extensively violated the Constitution” and also sought to escape a criminal investigation against him by attempting to impose martial law, according to Agence France -Press who obtained a copy of their declaration. South Korea’s ruling party has decided to oppose the motion to impeach the president, Yonhap news agency reported. Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers In South Korea, the president’s attempted coup is defeated Read later Mr. Yoon, whose popularity rating was already at its lowest, has his back against the wall by the opposition as well as by his own party after establishing martial law during a surprise speech late Tuesday, before repealing this measure a few hours later under pressure from deputies and the street. In the context of the difficult adoption of the 2025 budget, the president justified this coup by saying he wanted to “eliminate elements hostile to the State” and “protect liberal South Korea from the threats posed by the North’s communist forces.” Koreans. Mr. Yoon, narrowly elected in 2022 and who never had a majority in Parliament, pointed to a “legislative dictatorship” and accused opposition elected officials of blocking “all budgets essential to the primary functions of the nation.” Turning our backs on nearly forty years of democracy After Mr. Yoon’s announcement, troops were deployed and army helicopters landed on the roof of the Korean Parliament, but MPs were able to convene in a hurry to adopt a resolution demanding the repeal of the measure. In total, more than 280 soldiers broke into Parliament, according to the Yonhap news agency. A total of 190 deputies out of 300 still managed to gather in the hemicycle, where special forces soldiers were trying to penetrate. They managed to unanimously vote on a motion calling for the lifting of martial law. Le Monde Mémorable Test your general knowledge with the editorial staff of “Le Monde” Test your general knowledge with the editorial staff of “Le Monde” Discover The imposition of martial law involved the suspension of political life, the closure of Parliament and the placing under control media. As of early Wednesday evening, the head of state had still not reappeared in public and some of the demonstrators said they were shocked to have seen their country so close to turning its back on nearly forty years of democracy. “Unlimited general strike” until Mr. Yoon’s resignation The leader of the opposition, Lee Jae-myung, who narrowly lost the presidential election against Mr. Yoon, described this measure as “illegal”. “We will file charges of rebellion” against the president, his defense and interior ministers and “key figures in the army and police, such as the martial law commander and the head of the police,” the Democratic Party announced on Wednesday. Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun announced that he had offered his resignation to the president. “I deeply regret and take full responsibility for the confusion and concern caused to the public by martial law,” he wrote in a statement. Even Mr. Yoon’s party, the People’s Power Party, distanced itself from the president’s initiative. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the country’s largest inter-union association with some 1.2 million members, called for an “indefinite general strike” until Mr. Yoon’s resignation, saying he had “signed his own end in power.” The lifting of martial law in South Korea shows the country’s “commitment” to the rule of law, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Tuesday. “I think the announcement of the end of martial law indicates South Korea’s continued commitment to the rule of law,” he said at a news conference in Brussels. President Yoon Suk Yeol introduced martial law late Tuesday, before repealing this measure barely six hours later under pressure from MPs and the streets. Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers In South Korea, democracy threatened by the populist excesses of Yoon Suk Yeol Read later Le Monde with AFP
Author : News7
Publish date : 2024-12-05 00:25:06
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