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A protester brandishes a sign in front of the National Assembly in Seoul on Saturday, December 14 morning, during a rally calling for the impeachment of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. KIM HONG-JI / REUTERS The fate of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at the head of the country is being played out again in Parliament on Saturday December 14. Thousands of demonstrators are expected in front of the National Assembly in Seoul, at the time of the vote of deputies scheduled for 4 p.m. (8 a.m. in Paris), to demand the departure of the unpopular conservative head of state, after his failed attempt to impose martial law and have Parliament muzzled by the army on December 3. Organizers promised to distribute meals to protesters to boost their morale despite the freezing temperatures. And K-pop singer Yuri of Girl’s Generation, whose song Into the New World has become a protest anthem, announced she had paid for food in advance for rally attendees. “Stay safe and take care of your health,” she wrote on a chat platform. On December 7, a first impeachment motion presented by the opposition failed, most of the deputies of Mr. Yoon’s People Power Party (PPP) having left the chamber before the vote to prevent the quorum from being reached . Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers The South Korean president, or the drift of a former prosecutor towards authoritarianism Read later The Constitutional Court must validate the dismissal To be adopted, the motion must receive at least 200 votes out of 300. opposition led by the Democratic Party has 192 seats, and the PPP 108. Mr. Yoon’s opponents must therefore switch at least eight MPs from the PPP to their camp to secure his downfall. On Friday, seven PPP MPs had already publicly said they would vote for impeachment, promising a close vote. If the motion passes, Mr. Yoon, at the same time targeted by an investigation for “rebellion” and who is prohibited from leaving the country, will be suspended from his functions while waiting for the Constitutional Court to validate his dismissal. The interim will be held by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. The Court will have 180 days to rule. With only six of its nine judges in office – three others retired in October and have not been replaced due to the ongoing political deadlock – they will have to decide unanimously. If the Court confirms the impeachment, Mr. Yoon, 63, will become the second head of state of South Korea to suffer this fate, after President Park Geun-hye in 2017. But there is also a precedent for impeachment voted by Parliament then invalidated two months later by the Constitutional Court: that of Roh Moo-hyun in 2004. Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers South Korea divided over pardon granted to former President Park Geun-hye Read later Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung urged PPP MPs to rally to his cause, invoking their responsibility towards history. “What lawmakers must protect is neither Yoon nor the ruling party (…) but the lives of all the people protesting in the freezing streets,” Mr. Lee said on Friday. “History will remember your choice,” he said. Arrests continue Meanwhile, the police net is tightening around the president and his close associates. On Friday, prosecutors announced the arrest of the head of the Seoul military command, and the Seoul Central District Court issued arrest warrants for the national police chief and the capital police chief, citing a “risk of destruction of evidence”. 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 Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, considered the person who pushed the president to impose the law martial, was the first to be arrested on December 8. He attempted suicide two days later in detention. Read also | South Korea: the president’s office raided, the former defense minister attempts suicide Read later Yoon Suk Yeol stunned South Korea on the night of December 3 to 4 by suddenly establishing martial law, a first in more than four decades in the country, and sending army special forces to Parliament to try to prevent MPs from meeting. But 190 elected officials still managed to enter the building, sometimes by climbing the fences. They unanimously voted for a motion demanding the lifting of martial law, while their aides prevented soldiers from barging into the chamber by barricading the doors with tables, chairs and sofas. The president finally complied, repealing the martial law proclaimed only six hours earlier and sending the soldiers back to their barracks. According to a Gallup poll released Friday, Yoon Suk Yeol’s approval rating reached a historic high of 11%, and 75% of respondents want him removed. Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers The South Korean president, more cornered than ever, is banking on procedural complexities to stay in office Read later Le Monde with AFP Reuse this content
Author : News7
Publish date : 2024-12-14 03:27:47
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