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Lee Jae-myung of South Korea's liberal Democratic Party was elected president on June 4.
President Yoon Suk-yeol was removed from office on April 4 after the country's Constitutional Court, in a unanimous decision, upheld a parliamentary vote to impeach him over the Dec 3 martial law decree.
SEOUL -- South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party of Korea said Thursday that it will push for a vote Saturday for an impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol over his shocking yet short-lived imposition of martial law.
Cho Seung-rae, the main opposition's senior spokesperson, said it plans to hold a vote on the motion at around 7 p.m. local time Saturday to give ruling party lawmakers enough time to deliberate over their decision on Yoon's actions, Yonhap news agency reported.
The Democratic Party, which holds a majority in the 300-seat parliament, has submitted the impeachment motion with the backing of five smaller opposition parties, arguing Yoon's martial law declaration constituted violations of the constitution and other laws.
The vote on the impeachment motion requires a two-thirds majority to pass, which would need eight of the 108 ruling party lawmakers to vote with opposition parties. If it passes, the Constitutional Court would then decide whether to uphold the motion, with a decision required within 180 days.
Han Dong-hoon, leader of the ruling People Power Party, said at a party meeting on Thursday that the unconstitutional martial law order cannot be justified, urging Yoon to leave the party. But he pledged his party will rally efforts to block the motion's passage to avoid confusion.
The floor leader of the People Power party Choo Kyung-ho also vowed Thursday that its lawmakers would "unite" to defeat the opposition-led impeachment motion, which would immediately suspend Yoon's presidential duties.
"President Yoon will not make any statements today," a presidential official told reporters Thursday.
During a meeting on Wednesday with key political figures, including Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Yoon said there was "no wrongdoing" in the declaration of martial law and dismissed allegations of any impropriety, emphasizing that it was solely intended to prevent what he described as the Democratic Party's "reckless impeachment actions," local media reported.
Several high-profile cabinet ministers have expressed their intention to step down. Earlier on Thursday, Yoon accepted the resignation of his defense minister Kim Yong-hyun and nominated his ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Choi Byung-hyuk, as a replacement, the presidential office said.
Kim, who reportedly proposed to the president declaring martial law, tendered his resignation on Wednesday evening, shortly after the Democratic Party submitted an impeachment motion against him.
The outgoing defense chief said he offered to step down in a bid to take full responsibility for all events related to Tuesday's martial law declaration and apologized to the South Korean people for causing disruption and confusion.
In a further development on Thursday, South Korean prosecutors banned Kim from leaving the country, Yonhap news agency said.
Meanwhile, South Korean police launched an investigation into a case of Yoon's treason charge, a senior police officer said Thursday.
Police have begun investigating the president for alleged "insurrection" following his declaration of martial law and subsequent lifting, which has sparked widespread political turmoil. Woo Jong-soo, head of the National Office of Investigation of the National Police Agency, confirmed that "the case has been assigned."
Yoon shocked the country by declaring emergency martial law Tuesday night, claiming to eradicate "anti-state" forces, only to lift the order six hours later after being rejected by 190 lawmakers in parliament.
On Wednesday night, demonstrators in downtown Seoul held a candlelight vigil and marched towards the presidential office against Yoon, demanding that he step down.
SEOUL - South Korean prosecutors banned former defense minister Kim Yong-hyun from leaving the country on Thursday, indicating the launch of an investigation into Kim's treason charge, according to Yonhap news agency.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office imposed an overseas travel ban on Kim, who reportedly proposed to President Yoon Suk-yeol declaring an emergency martial law and resigned later.
Yoon made the martial law declaration Tuesday night before repealing it early Wednesday as the National Assembly voted against it.
Three minor liberal opposition parties accused Yoon and Kim of treason charge on Wednesday.
Two civic groups filed complaints with the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, each against Kim for treason and other charges the previous day.
The National Office of Investigation (NOI) initiated an investigation into Yoon earlier in the day as complaints were filed against the president for rebellion and other charges.
SEOUL -- South Korea's police on Thursday launched an investigation into a case of President Yoon Suk-yeol's treason charge, according to multiple media outlets.
The minor left-leaning Rebuilding Korea Party and a group of activists filed complaints against Yoon for the rebellion and other charges Wednesday.
The National Office of Investigation (NOI) was quoted as saying that the two complaints were merged and assigned to the national security investigation team.
Woo Jong-soo, the NOI head, told lawmakers that the police would rapidly deal with the case in accordance with laws and procedures, expressing his willingness to look into it.
SEOUL -- South Korea's main liberal opposition Democratic Party said Thursday that it planned to vote on an impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol on Saturday.
The party's deputy spokesperson told reporters that the vote would be held at around 7:00 pm local time on Saturday in a bid to allow lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party enough time to consider it.
The Democratic Party and five other minor parties submitted the motion to impeach Yoon Wednesday and reported it to the National Assembly's plenary session early Thursday as the opposition believed the president's martial law declaration was illegal and unconstitutional.
Yoon declared an emergency martial law Tuesday night before repealing it early Wednesday as the parliament voted against it.
Under the constitution, the impeachment bill must be initiated by a majority of lawmakers and approved by at least two-thirds of National Assembly legislators.
The opposition will need eight votes from 108 lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party to pass the motion.
If passed, it will be deliberated by the constitutional court for up to 180 days, during which Yoon's constitutional powers will be suspended, and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will be an acting president.
If the impeachment of Yoon is upheld by the court, a new presidential election will be held within 60 days.
SEOUL - More than seven out of 10 South Koreans were in favor of the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol over his declaration of an emergency martial law, a poll showed Thursday.
According to the local pollster Realmeter survey, 73.6 percent of respondents approved of the impeachment of the conservative president, while 24.0 percent were against it.
The result was based on a survey of 504 voters conducted Wednesday. It had plus and minus 4.4 percentage points in margin of error with a 95-percent confidence level.
Even in North Gyeongsang province and the city of Daegu, regarded as a traditional home turf for the conservative bloc, 66.2 percent agreed on the impeachment.
Of the respondents who identified themselves as liberal voters, 94.6 percent were in favor of the impeachment, while 50.4 percent of conservative voters consented to the removal of Yoon from office.
Those who termed Yoon's martial law declaration as treason reached 69.5 percent, while 24.9 percent disagreed with it.
In North Gyeongsang province and Daegu, 70.5 percent said the martial law declaration was an offense of seeking to topple the country, while 45.2 percent of conservative voters considered it a rebellion.
Yoon declared an emergency martial law Tuesday night before repealing it early Wednesday as the parliament voted against it.
The main liberal opposition Democratic Party and five other minor parties submitted a motion to impeach Yoon on Wednesday.
SEOUL - South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol accepted resignation by Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, the presidential office said Thursday.
Kim allegedly proposed to Yoon declaring an emergency martial law, which was imposed Tuesday night but repealed early Wednesday as the parliament voted against it.
The outgoing defense minister said Wednesday that he expressed his resignation offer to the president in a bid to take all responsibilities for the emergency martial law, apologizing to people for causing concerns and confusion.
Yoon named Choi Byung-hyuk, ambassador to Saudi Arabia, to head the defense ministry as Kim's successor.
Republic of Korea President Yoon Suk-yeol announced through a televised address around 4:27 am on Wednesday that he had decided to accept his parliament's request to lift martial law in the country. The decision came just about six hours after he had imposed martial law, at 10:25 pm on Tuesday.
Later, several senior advisers in the ROK government announced their resignations, while the nation's largest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Korea, held an emergency parliamentary meeting and asked Yoon to immediately step down or face impeachment.
The incident is indicative of serious divisions in ROK politics. Yoon and his wife Kim Keon-hee are at the center of a political scandal for allegedly trying to influence the ruling People Power Party to pick a certain candidate to run for a parliamentary by-election in 2022.
The opposition party's push to pass legislation targeting her and to impeach public officials, including prosecutors, may have pushed Yoon to declare martial law. However, his decision met severe challenges as Lee Jae-myung, head of the main opposition party, held a live televised address in parliament, while 190 lawmakers entered parliament and voted to lift the martial law.
The development casts a shadow on Yoon's political career. His approval rating in a recent poll stood at just 17 percent, while the main opposition party led by Lee continues its attack against the Yoon administration.
In April, the opposition Democratic Party of Korea registered a landslide victory in legislative elections, securing 175 of the 300 seats together with its allies. In the party leadership election in August, Lee Jae-myung was reelected and has now set his sights on the next presidential election.
On Nov 25, the Seoul Central District Court acquitted Lee of charges that he persuaded a witness to lie in court to understate his past criminal conviction, a breather for him from legal troubles that threaten to derail his political career. Prosecutors have decided to appeal against the ruling, but some argue it is a "political trial" aimed at eliminating the political opposition.
While the opposition is actively mobilizing supporters to hold rallies in protest, calling for President Yoon's impeachment and early presidential polls, the political divide continues to widen and it's the ROK, society and its people that suffer.
CHINA NEWS SERVICE
Republic of Korea President Yoon Suk-yeol is facing impeachment over his declaration of martial law in the country on Tuesday night, an order he was forced to withdraw within six hours of announcement as ROK lawmakers unanimously voted against it.
An impeachment bill, submitted to the National Assembly on Wednesday afternoon by the main liberal opposition Democratic Party and five smaller opposition parties, was expected to be introduced at a parliamentary plenary session in the early hours of Thursday, and could be put to a vote as early as Friday, local media reported.
China said on Wednesday that it had noted the short-lived declaration of martial law in the ROK, but "will not comment" on the country's internal affairs.
"We hope the ROK will take effective measures to ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and institutions. China's position on the Korean Peninsula issue remains unchanged," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian.
According to ROK laws, a presidential impeachment motion requires the agreement of at least two-thirds of the National Assembly members to pass. Impeaching Yoon would therefore require support from 200 of the National Assembly's 300 members. The Democratic Party and other small opposition parties together have 192 seats. In addition, at least six justices of the nine-member Constitutional Court must endorse the vote to remove him from office.
In a televised address on Tuesday night, Yoon shocked the nation and the world by declaring "emergency martial law" to contain "anti-state forces" and protect constitutional freedom. This was the first time martial law was invoked in the country in more than 40 years.
The announcement drew heavily armed troops to encircle the ROK parliament, while lawmakers scrambled to reenter the building. People gathered in front of the National Assembly and at Gwanghwamun Square in the heart of Seoul, demanding Yoon's resignation, impeachment and arrest. The standoff played out over a few tense hours, with cameras capturing the moments of anger, bravery and defiance before Yoon was forced to back down.
Woo Su-keun, head of the Institute of East Asian Studies of Korea in Seoul, said that as only eight votes are needed from the ruling People Power Party, of which Yoon is a member, there was a possibility that the impeachment bill would pass.
In a statement, People Power Party chief Han Dong-hoon said that Yoon's declaration of martial law was "wrong", and urged all Cabinet ministers to resign.
Yoon's senior aides, including his chief of staff, offered to resign en masse after the martial law decree was blocked by the National Assembly. On Wednesday afternoon, ROK Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun offered to resign, apologizing for the turmoil the country was cast into.
"People were shocked by President Yoon's order, because it is not a situation for implementing martial law," Woo said, adding that a president could declare martial law during wartime, war-like situations or other comparable national emergencies.
Hoo Chiew-ping, co-founder and senior fellow of the East Asian International Relations Caucus in Malaysia, said that Yoon frequently invoked the term "anti-state forces "in his remarks at various Cabinet meetings, a euphemism aimed at describing opposition parties and their members. However, "using such Cold War rhetoric to target a modern, democratic opposition is not only illogical but also profoundly inappropriate", Hoo said.
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, ROK's largest labor union, launched an indefinite nationwide strike starting on Wednesday, urging its members not to go to work until Yoon resigns.
Ryu Yong-wook, assistant professor at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at National University of Singapore, said, "If the president resigns, a presidential election must be held within 60 days, according to law."
If the impeachment motion is passed, Yoon can challenge its legality in the Constitutional Court, which could take months to make a decision, Ryu added.
kelly@chinadailyapac.com
SEOUL -- South Korea's opposition parties began early Thursday to report an impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol to the parliament over his declaration of an emergency martial law, local TV footage showed.
The main liberal opposition Democratic Party and five other minor parties, which submitted the motion Wednesday, planned to put it up for a vote as early as Friday.
By law, the 300-member unicameral National Assembly is required to cast a secret vote on the impeachment motion within 72 hours after it is proposed.
Under the constitution, the impeachment motion must be initiated by a majority of lawmakers and approved by at least two-thirds of the National Assembly legislators.
The opposition will need eight votes from 108 lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party to get the motion passed.
If it is passed, the constitutional court will deliberate it for up to 180 days, during which Yoon's constitutional powers will be suspended and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will be acting president.
If the impeachment against Yoon is upheld by the court, a new presidential election would be held within 60 days.
Yoon declared martial law Tuesday night before repealing it early Wednesday after the parliament voted against it. The revocation was approved at a cabinet meeting.
Meanwhile, the People Power Party lawmakers agreed early Thursday to oppose Yoon's impeachment, adopting the objection as its basic position.
The ruling party legislators refused to join the parliamentary plenary session early Thursday, in which the impeachment motion against Yoon was being reported.
SEOUL -- South Korea's ruling People Power Party held a general meeting of lawmakers, agreeing early Thursday to oppose the impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol over his martial law declaration, according to multiple media outlets.
SEOUL -- South Korean demonstrators marched towards the presidential office in the capital city of Seoul on Wednesday night as the political crisis ignited by President Yoon Suk-yeol's sudden declaration of martial law in the country dragged on.
The demonstrators were seen chanting slogans "Arrest Yoon Suk-yeol" and "Yoon must step down".
The march took place after the demonstrators staged a candlelight rally near Gwanghwamun in central Seoul, demanding that Yoon step down.
The organizers estimated that 10,000 people participated in the mass event, while the turnout figure given by the local police was around 2,000.
Yoon declared an emergency martial law late Tuesday and lifted the short-lived decree in the early hours of Wednesday following a vote by lawmakers at the National Assembly to reject it.
BEIJING -- China hopes the Republic of Korea (ROK) will take effective measures to protect the safety and security of Chinese nationals and institutions in the ROK, foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said here on Wednesday.
Lin made the remarks when answering a query concerning the short-lived imposition of martial law in the ROK.
China noted relevant events and will not comment on the ROK's domestic affairs, said Lin, adding that China has asked its nationals in the ROK to take extra safety precautions.
China's position on the Korean Peninsula issue remains unchanged, Lin noted.
SEOUL -- South Korea's Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun made an apology to citizens and said he has submitted resignation to President Yoon Suk-yeol, Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday.
The resignation came shortly after the main opposition Democratic Party proposed an impeachment motion against the defense chief over emergency martial law turmoil.
In the meantime, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and leaders of the ruling People Power Party have gathered at the presidential office, likely for a meeting with the South Korean president following the opposition parties' impeachment bill, Yonhap said in an earlier dispatch citing sources.
South Korea's opposition parties submitted a motion to impeach President Yoon over the extended political turmoil caused by a presidential declaration of a short-lived emergency martial law issued Tuesday night. Yoon lifted it early Wednesday after the National Assembly voted against the law.
Earlier on Wednesday, South Korea's cabinet ministers expressed their intentions to resign en masse, the local Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported.
Prime Minister Han has expressed his willingness to "serve the public until the final moment", Yonhap said.
SEOUL - The main opposition Democratic Party of South Korea has proposed an impeachment motion against the country's defense minister over emergency martial law turmoil, Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday.
TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Wednesday that Japan was carefully watching the situation in South Korea with "particular and grave" concerns, according to Kyodo News.
"We have been monitoring (developments) since the overnight declaration of martial law with particular and grave concerns," Ishiba told reporters, adding that he is not in a position to comment on South Korea's domestic affairs.
"We don't know the exact details of what happened, but declaring martial law is a serious matter," Kyodo News cited a source from Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs as saying.
The situation in South Korea might be chaotic, and Japan will monitor how the situation unfolds, the source added.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol declared an emergency martial law Tuesday night and lifted it early Wednesday following the National Assembly's vote against it.
In accordance with the constitution, the president should lift martial law when the 300-member parliament demands the lifting with a majority of lawmakers voting in favor.
SEOUL -- South Korea's cabinet ministers have expressed their intentions to resign en masse to the prime minister, the local Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported on Wednesday.
The latest development came as the South Korean government scrambled to make multiple moves in response to the country's political crisis.
South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has expressed his willingness to "serve the public until the final moment", according to the Yonhap news agency.
Han was scheduled to meet with the ruling People Power Party leadership and senior aides to President Yoon Suk-yeol Wednesday afternoon, Chosun Ilbo reported.
In the meantime, the authorities announced plans to rein in repercussions in financial markets.
The central bank announced on Wednesday that it will provide "ample liquidity" to stabilize the stock market, after the Korea Composite Stock Price Index slid almost 2 percent late in the morning trading session on the day.
SEOUL -- South Korea's opposition parties on Wednesday submitted a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol who declared an emergency martial law Tuesday night and lifted it early Wednesday after the National Assembly voted against the martial law.
A total of 191 lawmakers from the main liberal opposition Democratic Party and five other minor opposition parties proposed the motion to oust Yoon from office.
The opposition parties planned to report the motion to the plenary session on Thursday and vote on it between Friday and Saturday, according to multiple media outlets.
By law, the 300-member unicameral parliament is required to cast a secret vote on the impeachment motion within 72 hours after the motion is suggested to the plenary session.
The constitution stipulates that the impeachment motion must be initiated by a majority of lawmakers and approved by at least two-thirds of National Assembly legislators.
If the motion is passed through the parliament with the vote in favor of the impeachment from over 200 lawmakers, the constitutional court will deliberate it for up to 180 days, during which Yoon will be suspended.
WASHINGTON - The United States felt "relieved" that the declaration of an emergency martial law was lifted in South Korea, a spokesperson for the US National Security Council (NSC) said Tuesday.
"We are relieved President Yoon (Suk-yeol of South Korea) has reversed course on his concerning declaration of martial law and respected the ROK National Assembly's vote to end it," the spokesperson said in a statement.
Following the lifting of the martial law order, the US embassy in Seoul said in an alert that despite the reversal, "the situation remains fluid." It advised US nationals in the country to "avoid areas where demonstrations are taking place".
The embassy said it would cancel routine consular appointments for US citizens and visa applicants on Wednesday.
Yoon declared the emergency martial law in a televised emergency address on Tuesday night to eradicate anti-state forces and uphold free constitutional order.
This is the first martial law declaration since the country's military dictatorship ended in the late 1980s.
However, the emergency martial law was lifted early Wednesday at an urgently convened cabinet meeting after the South Korean parliament voted against it.
SEOUL -- South Korea's senior presidential staff, including the chief of staff and all the senior secretaries, offered to resign after President Yoon Suk-yeol declared and lifted an emergency martial law, multiple media outlets said Wednesday, citing the presidential office.
Yoon declared the emergency martial law Tuesday night, marking the first martial law declaration since the country's military dictatorship ended in the late 1980s.
He noted that it was an inevitable step to ensure people's freedom, safety and national sustainability from the anti-state forces seeking to overthrow the country, vowing to eliminate the anti-state forces and normalize the country as soon as possible.
Yoon criticized the parliament for paralyzing state affairs by attempting to impeach government officials, launch a special prosecutor's team for investigation into scandals involving the first lady and protect the opposition leader from legal risks.
Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who reportedly proposed the martial law declaration to Yoon, ordered a meeting of key commanders, urging the military to strengthen vigilance.
However, after the announcement, the main opposition party, the Democratic Party of Korea, called for lawmakers to head toward the National Assembly to discuss countermeasures. Seoul's citizens also rallied in front of the parliament building against the martial law order.
Despite the lockdown of the parliament building by martial law troops and police, the lawmakers managed to convene a meeting in the National Assembly and passed a resolution to lift the martial law with 18 lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party and 172 lawmakers of opposition parties in attendance and voting in favor.
In accordance with the constitution, the president should lift martial law when the 300-member parliament demands the lifting with a majority of lawmakers voting in favor.
National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik said the president should immediately lift the martial law order according to the parliament's resolution approval, noting that the martial law declaration became invalid.
Han Dong-hoon, leader of the People Power Party, expressed his great regret over the martial law declaration as a ruling party chair, saying the unconstitutional, illegal declaration lost its effect after the parliamentary decision.
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, said the declaration was illegal and unconstitutional as it failed to meet the requirements under the constitution and the martial law, urging the police and the military to return to their normal job as following the illegal, unconstitutional order of the president itself is illegal.
Early Wednesday, a motion to remove the martial law order was approved at an urgently convened cabinet meeting, according to multiple media outlets.
Before the cabinet meeting, Yoon said in a televised address that martial law troops were withdrawn as the National Assembly demanded the lifting of martial law, vowing to lift the martial law at a cabinet meeting to accept the parliamentary demand.
He asked the National Assembly to stop paralyzing state affairs by trying to impeach government officials, slash the government's budget for next year and launch a special prosecutor's team for investigation into scandals involving the first lady.
Woo confirmed that all martial law troops had left the parliamentary building.
SEOUL - South Korea's emergency martial law, declared by President Yoon Suk-yeol Tuesday night, was lifted early Wednesday at a cabinet meeting after the parliament voted against it.
The motion to remove the martial law order was approved at an urgently convened cabinet meeting, according to multiple media outlets.
Before the meeting, Yoon said in a televised address that martial law troops were withdrawn as the National Assembly demanded the lifting of martial law, vowing to lift the martial law at a cabinet meeting to accept the parliamentary demand.
The president asked the National Assembly to stop paralyzing state affairs by trying to impeach government officials, slash the government's budget for next year and launch a special prosecutor's team for investigation into scandals involving the first lady.
Yoon declared the emergency martial law Tuesday night, marking the first martial law declaration since the country's military dictatorship ended in the late 1980s.
The National Assembly held a plenary session, passing a resolution to lift the martial law with 18 lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party and 172 lawmakers of opposition parties in attendance and voting in favor.
In accordance with the constitution, the president should lift a martial law when the 300-member parliament demands the lifting with a majority of lawmakers voting in favor.
