Opposition lawmakers in South Korea moved Wednesday to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol after he shocked East Asian democracy by declaring martial law only to lift the order hours later under intense pressure.
Six opposition parties, led by the Democratic Party that controls parliament, submitted articles of impeachment against Yoon on Wednesday afternoon local time, quickly responding to what the Democratic Party called an “unconstitutional and illegal declaration.” of martial law” by the Yoon administration.
The Democratic Party will also begin impeachment proceedings against Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, said Cho Seung-rae, chief spokesperson of the Democratic Party, adding that the three officials are also expected to be charged with insurrection.
Insurrection charges will also be filed against martial law commander Gen. Park Ahn-soo, National Police Commissioner Yoon Hee-keun and other key military and police players, it said. Cho.
Yoon’s People Power Party (PPP) leader Han Dong-hoon said the six-hour martial law “almost paralyzed the nation” and that the party “respects and abides by the spirit of our constitution “.
He said PPP officials were discussing whether Yoon should leave the party, but he stopped short of saying Yoon should resign as chairman, saying the party would investigate all allegations. circumstances.
Government officials rushed to reassure South Koreans, many of whom slept through the six hours of martial law that began Tuesday evening and ended Wednesday morning.
“I fully understand the great anxiety you must feel,” Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said in a statement, adding that he took full responsibility “for all the processes that led to the current situation.”
“From now on, the Cabinet will dedicate itself, alongside heads of all ministries, to ensuring the stability of the nation and the uninterrupted continuation of your daily life,” he said.
Yoon’s office announced Wednesday that his chief of staff and all senior presidential secretaries had tendered their resignations. But there was no further comment from Yoon, who canceled his official schedule for the day.
Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, welcomed Yoon’s order to repeal emergency martial law.
“We continue to expect that political disagreements will be resolved peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law,” Blinken said in a statement.
The South Korean stock market opened normally on Wednesday, with shares down about 2% in early trading, CNBC reported. South Korea’s currency, the won, strengthened against the dollar in early trading, but remained near a two-year low reached Tuesday evening after Yoon declared martial law.
At a news conference in Seoul, officials from rating agency S&P said the brief period of martial law is unlikely to have an impact on South Korea’s credit rating.
Yoon, whose conservative government took office in 2022, has seen his approval ratings plummet as he struggles to advance his agenda against the opposition Democratic Party, which controls Parliament. Democratic lawmakers have sought to impeach several government officials and are clashing with Yoon over next year’s budget.
Yoon made the surprise martial law announcement in a late-night televised speech Tuesday, accusing opposition lawmakers of paralyzing the government and saying he was declaring a state of emergency “in order to protect the constitutional order based on freedom and to eradicate the shameful supporters of the North. Korean anti-state groups are stealing our people’s freedom and happiness.
Yoon, who takes a tougher line on North Korea than his Democratic Party predecessor, said his order would also protect South Korea from the nuclear-armed communist state, with which the South remains technically at war.
Shortly after Yoon’s announcement, a martial law proclamation declared that all political activities, including protests and National Assembly operations, were prohibited. He also declared all media and publications under the control of the martial law command and ordered the country’s striking doctors to return to work within 48 hours.
It was the first time since 1980 that martial law was declared in South Korea, a country of 50 million that spent decades under authoritarian military rule but has since become a vibrant democracy and the world’s 10th largest economy. .
U.S. officials said Tuesday they were not informed in advance of Yoon’s announcement, but affirmed the “ironclad” nature of the U.S. alliance with South Korea, which hosts about 28,500 American soldiers.
Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said the martial law order had “basically no impact” on U.S. forces.
Minutes after Yoon’s announcement, lawmakers began arriving at the National Assembly in central Seoul, where police blocked them from entering. The Ministry of National Defense also deployed between 200 and 300 armed troops to the National Assembly grounds by helicopter, Kim Min-gi, secretary-general of the National Assembly, said Wednesday.
Crowds of protesters also arrived at the building to oppose the declaration of martial law.
Within hours, lawmakers passed a resolution rescinding Yoon’s statement, and soldiers immediately followed orders to leave the National Assembly. Yoon’s People Power Party urged the president to accept the lawmakers’ decision and repeal the martial law order.
In a televised address to the nation as dawn approached, Yoon said he had accepted the National Assembly’s resolution and that martial law would be lifted as soon as a quorum of cabinet members could be reached. at odd hours.
“That said, I strongly urge the National Assembly to immediately cease the repeated acts of impeachment, legislative manipulation and budgetary sabotage that are crippling the functions of the nation,” he said.
The martial law order was lifted around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday local time (2:30 p.m. Tuesday ET). South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said deployed troops returned at 4:22 a.m. and no unusual activity was detected from North Korea.
Woo Won-sik, Speaker of the National Assembly, said the immediate withdrawal of the army from the building “demonstrates a mature and democratic army.”
“Even our citizens, who carry the painful memory of past military coups, would have seen the maturity of the military in the current situation,” Woo said.
Kim, the National Assembly’s general secretary, said its “illegal closure”, obstruction of lawmakers’ entry and deployment of military forces had “inflicted deep wounds on the hearts of the people”.
He said Ministry of National Defense personnel, police and relevant parties were barred from entering the National Assembly as an emergency measure “to protect lawmakers and ensure the functioning of the Assembly”.
Stella Kim reported from Seoul, South Korea, and Jennifer Jett from Hong Kong
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