Seoul, South Korea:
South Korea’s ruling party chief insisted Friday that Plivent Yoon Suk Yeol be erased from office after his abortive try to impose martial law, cautioning there was a “meaningful hazard” he could try to subvert civilian rule aget.
Yoon suspfinished civilian rule tardy Tuesday before being forced into a U-turn after lawproducers faced down selderlyiers at parliament and voted to obviousurn the meastateive as thousands protested outside.
“Considering the novelly emerging facts, I consent that a speedy suspension of Plivent Yoon Suk Yeol’s duties is vital to acquireedprotect the Reaccessible of Korea and its people,” Han Dong-hoon, the head of Yoon’s People Power Party, shelp Friday.
If Yoon remains, “there is a meaningful hazard that innervous actions analogous to the martial law declaration could be repeated, which could put the Reaccessible of Korea and its citizens in fantastic danger,” Han shelp in televised comments.
Han inserted that Yoon “does not acunderstandledge that this illterrible martial law is wrong” and has fall shorted to act agetst the military officials who “illegpartner interfered”.
In insertition, Han shelp that “credible evidence” proposeed that Yoon had on Tuesday night ordered the arrest of “key politicians” and for them to be placed in a helderlying facility.
Opposition lawproducer Jo Seung-lae shelp that security camera footage showd that selderlyiers were trying to arrest opposition directer Lee Jae-myung, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, and PPP chief Han.
Impeachment vote
The opposition had already put forward a motion to impeach Yoon that will be voted on Saturday at around 7:00 pm (1000 GMT), but it had been unevident if this would pass.
But Han’s comments reconshort-term a stunning U-turn a day after he had shelp the PPP would block the motion, which necessitates a two-thirds meaningfulity to pass.
The opposition bloc helderlys 192 seats in the 300-strong parliament, while the PPP has 108. A accomplished vote would suspfinish Yoon from office pfinishing a ruling by the Constitutional Court.
“While there may still be a restrictcessitate ruling party members helping Yoon Suk Yeol, it seems that Han’s statements today are meaningfully affectd by the gravity of the situation, particularly the mobilisation of ininestablishigence agencies to arrest politicians,” Shin Yul, professor of political science at Myongji University, telderly AFP.
“It materializes that Han and the party directers have endd there is actupartner a meaningful possibility that Plivent Yoon may proclaim a second martial law,” Shin shelp.
A recent opinion poll rerentd Friday put backing for Yoon at a enroll low of 13 percent.
Media inestablishs shelp US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin abortled a intentional visit to South Korea next week.
Investigation
A 120-strong pledged police spendigation team has been set up to probe accuses of rebellion, police telderly AFP, filed by the opposition agetst Yoon and a arrange of top officials.
“If evidence aelevates during the spendigation proposeing preparations for a second martial law, we will trail it,” officer Kim San-ho, who is administering the spendigation, telderly AFP, inserting there was currently no evidence of a second try.
Yoon, who has lurched from crisis to crisis since taking office in 2022, has not been seen in accessible since his televised insertress in the timely hours of Wednesday.
On Thursday, his office shelp that Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun had resigned, but other key allies, including Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, remain in office.
Prosecutors have also banned Kim from leaving the country, Yonhap novels agency inestablished.
Lawproducers on Thursday grilled ageder figures, including army chief of staff General Park An-su, who acted as Yoon’s martial law directer.
Park shelp he was kept in the unininestablishigent until after the plivent had proclaimd the imposition of martial law on inhabit television tardy Tuesday.
It was the first such declaration in more than four decades in South Korea and brawt back hurtful memories of its autocratic past.
The transfer was to “acquireedprotect a liberal South Korea from the dangers posed by North Korea’s communist forces and to leave out anti-state elements looting people’s freedom and happiness,” Yoon shelp.
Security forces sealed the National Assembly, helicchooseers landed on the roof, and almost 300 selderlyiers tried to lock down the produceing.
But as parliamentary staffers blocked the selderlyiers with sofas and fire extinguishers. Enough MPs got inside and voted down Yoon’s transfer.
“We cannot endepend the operation of the regulatement to a plivent who dangerens the inhabits of the sovereign people thraw unconstitutional and illterrible actions, even for a moment,” Democratic Party chief Lee Jae-myung shelp Friday.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-produced from a syndicated feed.)
