South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol addressed the nation on Saturday morning to apologise for the “anxiety” caused by his attempt to impose martial law.
Some had expected Yoon to use the brief TV appearance to resign from office but he stopped short of doing so, saying he would leave it up to his party to decide on his political future.
President Yoon will face an impeachment vote in parliament later today, with the result expected to be close. Opposition parties will need to win the support of at least eight MPs from Yoon’s ruling party if they are to achieve the two-thirds majority required to pass their impeachment motion.
If he is impeached, Yoon’s powers will be suspended until the Constitutional Court decides whether to remove him from office.
The crisis in South Korea exploded late on Tuesday when Yoon declared he was imposing martial law, leading MPs to rush to parliament to stage a vote against it. Some climbed over walls and pushed past soldiers in order to cast their vote. The order was lifted by Cabinet before dawn on Wednesday.
When will South Korea’s impeachment vote take place?
South Korea’s parliament, the National Assembly, said this morning that MPs would gather from 5pm local time on Saturday to stage the impeachment vote against president Yoon Suk Yeol.
The vote won’t happen immediately – first, it will vote on a bill appointing a special prosecutor to investigate influence peddling allegations surrounding Yoon’s wife.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether the impeachment motion would get the two-thirds needed to pass – 192 out of the assembly’s 300 seats. A vote on Tuesday night to void the martial law order received a unanimous 190 votes, including from some of Yoon’s own MPs, but that faction has since said it does not support impeachment.
Opposition leaders have vowed to keep bringing impeachment motions until one is successful. Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, told reporters that Yoon’s speech this morning was “greatly disappointing” and that the only way forward is his immediate resignation or impeachment.
If the impeachment motion succeeds, Yoon’s powers will be suspended until the Constitutional Court decides whether to remove him from office.
Adam Withnall7 December 2024 04:34
South Korea’s president apologises for causing ‘anxiety’ with martial law order
South Korea’s president Yoon Suk Yeol gave a brief TV statement on Saturday morning, hours before MPs were due to stage a vote in parliament on his impeachment.
Yoon apologised for trying to impose martial law on the country but stopped short of resigning, instead saying he would leave it up to his party to decide on his political future.
“The declaration of his martial law was made out of my desperation. But in the course of its implementation, it caused anxiety and inconveniences to the public. I feel very sorry over that and truly apologise to the people who must have been shocked a lot,” Yoon said.
He also promised not to repeat his attempt to impose martial law.
In his martial law announcement on Tuesday night, Yoon called parliament a “den of criminals” bogging down state affairs and vowed to eliminate “shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces.” The order was revoked by Cabinet hours later, after the National Assembly voted at 1am on Wednesday to oppose it.
It remains unclear whether parliament will succeed in impeaching the president. Opposition parties need to win the support of at least eight of Yoon’s own MPs for their motion to pass.
Adam Withnall7 December 2024 04:27