South Korea’s president needs to be removed from power after his shock decision to impose martial law this week, the country’s ruling party leader has said.
Yoon Suk Yeol rescinded the declaration six hours later on Tuesday, but protesters and opposition MPs have called for him to be impeached, with a vote due on Saturday.
People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon had said they are against impeachment, but he suggested that may change in light of “credible evidence” the president planned to arrest political leaders.
“I believe that President Yoon Suk Yeol’s immediate suspension of office is necessary to protect the Republic of Korea and its people in light of the newly revealed facts,” he said.
He did not explicitly call for impeachment, but claimed the president had ordered the arrest of prominent politicians on the grounds they were among “anti-state forces”.
The presidential office later denied any such order had been given, according to the Yonhap news agency, while the government said it is not preparing another martial law declaration.
Fearing another attempt to declare martial law, opposition politicians rotated through parliament’s hall to block any attempt, a Democratic Party official said.
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It’s not clear if the president was meant to arrive at the National Assembly, where protesters have gathered to call for his impeachment.
For an impeachment to pass, the bill would need support from two-thirds of the 300-member assembly.
As the president’s party has 108 politicians, eight would need to side with the opposition for the bill to succeed.
If the president is impeached, he would be suspended until a trial can be held at the Constitutional Court, while the prime minister would serve as acting leader.
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The South Koreans who fought martial law
Meanwhile, the national police is investigating the president and Kim Yong-hyun, the defence minister who resigned after allegedly encouraging martial law.
Broadcaster YTN reported government and military prosecutors are also carrying out a joint investigation, while South Korea’s defence ministry said on Friday it has suspended three commanders.
The country’s special warfare commander, Kwak Jong-geun, claimed he defied an order from the former defence minister to drag politicians out of parliament.
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South Koreans who stood up to martial law
Instead, he said, he ordered troops not to enter.
“I knew it would be disobedience, but I did not order that mission,” he told an opposition politician’s YouTube channel, adding he ordered against carrying live ammunition.
“I told them not to go in.”