South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, threatened with dismissal for his failed attempt to impose martial law, was dropped on Friday December 6 by his own party which judged that he posed “great danger” to the country and advocated its “rapid suspension”. Han Dong-hoon, the leader of the People Power Party (PPP) to which Yoon Suk Yeol belongs, reconsidered his position on Friday, after having affirmed the day before that his party would defeat the motion in impeachment filed by the opposition in Parliament. If President Yoon remains in office, “there is a significant risk that extreme actions similar to the declaration of martial law will be repeated, which could put the Republic of Korea and its citizens in great danger,” he said during a televised speech. The PPP leader also said he had “evidence” that the president had ordered the arrest of political leaders on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday, when he declared martial law and sent the army seal off Parliament, before giving it up under pressure from MPs and the street. According to opposition MP Jo Seung-lae, images from Parliament’s surveillance cameras indicate that the military was seeking to arrest the head of Parliament. Democratic Party (the main opposition force), Lee Jae-myung, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, and even Han Dong-hoon, head of the president’s own party. The South Korean President’s Office assured that the latter had “not given ordered to arrest or detain members of the National Assembly,” according to the Yonhap agency. Fears of 2nd martial law “We are receiving many reports regarding a second martial law. Until the impeachment bill is passed on Saturday, all members of the Democratic Party will remain in the main building of the National Assembly,” said lawmaker Jo Seung-lae. “There is no second martial law.” , assured a senior staff official. South Koreans “need not worry,” a Defense Ministry spokesperson added. If President Yoon does not resign before then, South Korea’s unicameral Parliament will meet on Saturday at 7 p.m. (10:00 GMT) to rule on his dismissal. A two-thirds majority of the 300 deputies is needed to oust him from power. The PPP has 108 seats, against 192 for the opposition. The latter must therefore obtain the defection of at least eight deputies from the presidential party to pass their motion, which seems likely after the latest statements by the leader of the PPP.South Korea: the votes necessary to dismiss the president / John SAEKI, Valentina BRESCHI / AFP If the motion is approved, Yoon Suk Yeol will be suspended from his functions pending validation of his dismissal by the Constitutional Court. If the judges give the green light, a new presidential election will take place within 60 days. The interim would then be provided by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. The South Korean president, who has disappeared from the public scene since Wednesday morning, is also the target of an investigation for “rebellion”. According to local media Chosun, the head of the party is due to meet him on Friday. Popularity on the floor Yoon Suk Yeol’s popularity rating reached a low of 13%, according to a Gallup poll published Friday. To everyone’s surprise, the president had declared martial law Tuesday evening and attempted to muzzle Parliament, where his camp is in the minority, by sending the army there. Narrowly elected in 2022, the president accused opposition elected officials of blocking “all budgets essential to the primary functions of the nation”. He justified his coup by the need to protect “liberal South Korea from the threats of North Korean communist forces and to eliminate elements hostile to the state.” Since then, thousands of South Koreans have demonstrated every day in front of places of power to demand his departure.
Author : News7
Publish date : 2024-12-06 07:34:44
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