Seoul, South Korea
CNN
—
South Korea’s ruling party is backing efforts to impeach embattled President Yun Seok-yeol over his ill-fated decision to declare martial law, which has sparked a domestic political crisis and widespread public anger.
The announcement came just before Mr. Yun delivered a defiant speech on Thursday. In it, he sought to justify his controversial martial law decision and rejected growing calls for his resignation from across the political spectrum.
The People’s Power Party (PPP) initially refused to support impeachment and instead expected Yun to resign. But party leaders said efforts to persuade him had made no progress.
Party leader Han Dong-hoon said, “We tried to find a better way than impeachment, but other methods are ineffective.” “Suspending the president from office through impeachment is the only way to protect our democracy and our republic at this time.”
The main opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan, is preparing a new impeachment motion against Yoon, and a vote is expected to take place as early as Saturday. The president survived an impeachment charge last weekend when PPP members boycotted the vote.
However, Han said that PPP members were now free to vote according to their “beliefs and conscience” after the party went all-out in support of impeachment.
“I believe that our party members vote for the country and its people,” he said.
‘I deeply apologize’: South Korean president apologizes for issuing martial law
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The PPP’s reversal on Thursday dramatically increases pressure on Yun and increases the likelihood that the next impeachment attempt will succeed.
Since Yoon declared a state of military emergency on December 3, there have been calls for his resignation, with major opposition parties accusing him of “anti-national activities,” sympathizing with North Korea, and blocking bills and budgets. It’s increasing.
The surprise late-night announcement, which was blocked within hours by lawmakers, echoed the brutal scars of martial law imposed during decades of military dictatorship before a long and bloody fight for democracy was won. There was still shock and anger across the country. In the 1980s.
Dramatic scenes that night showed security forces breaking through the windows of Parliament to prevent MPs from meeting, and demonstrators confronting riot police.
In the days since, pressure has mounted on Mr. Yun, with protesters and opposition groups calling for his impeachment, and support within his own party and military has wavered.
Police have begun investigating Yun and other government officials on suspicion of treason. And on Tuesday, lawmakers approved the creation of a special prosecutor to investigate whether Yun abused his power by inciting a riot and imposing martial law. Mr. Yoon is also prohibited from leaving the country.
The next day, South Korean police raided the presidential palace, a presidential security official confirmed to CNN.
South Korean prosecutors last week recommended the imposition of martial law and detained former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun on suspicion of resigning in the wake of a scandal. The country’s corrections chief said Kim attempted to take his own life while in custody late Tuesday.
As South Korea’s political environment becomes increasingly partisan, Yun portrays the opposition parties, led by the Democratic Party, as being overly soft on North Korea, which they deny.
In his speech Thursday, Yun described the brief martial law declaration as an attempt to break the political stalemate, while also saying that the opposition had criticized North Korea for launching garbage balloons into the country. “This is hurting the government, which is standing on the side of North Korea and is struggling to respond.” South, illegal nuclear arms and missile threats.
Yun said, “I don’t know which country the party belongs to and which country the National Assembly belongs to.”
Yun, a former prosecutor and conservative firebrand, had a difficult two years in office. He has faced plummeting approval ratings over his financial problems, a series of scandals involving his wife, and political appointments that have sparked calls for him to resign.
And in recent months, a gridlock in Congress has left the Democratic Party a lame duck unable to advance tax cuts and corporate deregulation legislation as its main rivals used Congress to impeach key Cabinet members and try to block the presidential election. He had become president. Budget proposal.
In a speech on Thursday, a defiant Yun sought to downplay his actions, saying the opposition was “creating a ton of false incitement to undermine the president by creating treason.”
Yun also asserted that he declared martial law “to maintain order, not to dissolve the National Assembly or paralyze its functions.”
“If we wanted to paralyze the functioning of the Diet, we would have imposed martial law on weekends instead of on weekdays,” he said. “And first shut off the power and water to the Capitol and restrict broadcasting. But I did none of that.”
As his control over the country becomes increasingly tenuous, Yoon also vowed to “fight with the people until the very last moment.”
“I once again apologize to the people who may have been surprised and nervous due to the short period of martial law,” he said. Please believe in my fierce loyalty to you, my people. ”
This story has been updated with additional information.
