South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday apologized for his temporary declaration of martial law earlier in the week, as he now prepares for a parliamentary vote on whether to impeach him.
Yoon said in a televised speech Saturday morning that he would avoid legal or political liability for the announcement and vowed to make no further efforts to enforce it, according to the Associated Press. The President, who remained firm, said he would leave it to his party to provide peace in the midst of political unrest in the country, “including issues affecting my time in power.”
“The declaration of his martial law was made out of my desperation,” Yoon said. “But during its operation, it caused anxiety and disruption in the community. I am very sorry for that and I am truly sorry for the people who must have been very frightened.”
In his declaration of martial law on Tuesday, Yoon called parliament a “den of criminals” who obstruct state affairs and vowed to eliminate “shameless North Korean supporters and anti-state forces.”
SOUTH KOREA’S PRESIDENT TO FACE RECALL VOTE THIS WEEKEND ON HEALTH LEGISLATION, SAY
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks at the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024. (AP)
A National Assembly vote on the opposition-led motion to impeach Yoon is scheduled for Saturday afternoon. The opposition parties that jointly tabled the expulsion motion hold 192 of the 300 seats in the Legislative Assembly, meaning they need at least eight more votes from Yoon’s conservative People Power Party to get the two-thirds majority needed to pass the motion.
Yoon’s party proposed that he be removed from office on Friday, although the party still officially opposes his removal.
Opposition members of parliament said Yoon’s declaration of martial law was self-insurgency, so they drafted a motion to prosecute him for treason.
If Yoon is fired, his powers will be suspended until the Constitutional Court decides whether to remove him from office. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, South Korea’s second-in-command, will assume his presidential duties.
If the president is removed, the election to replace him must be held within 60 days.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during an interview at the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Lee ​​Jin-man)
On Tuesday, special forces were seen surrounding the parliament building and military helicopters hovered over it. The military withdrew after the National Assembly voted unanimously to overturn Yoon’s declaration of martial law, forcing him to withdraw it hours after it was issued.
The declaration of martial law was the first in more than 40 years in South Korea.
Thousands of protesters have since taken to the streets of Seoul, waving banners, shouting slogans and singing along to K-pop songs with altered lyrics demanding Yoon’s removal.
Han said he received intelligence that, during martial law, Yoon ordered the country’s defense chief to arrest and detain key politicians for alleged “anti-state activities.”
SOUTH KOREA’S LEADER HAS BEEN FACED WITH REPORTS OF BEING DEPOSITED OR BEING HIT AS A RESULT OF THE MARTI LAW.
People hold candles during a candlelight vigil against South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024. (AP)
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM
After Yoon’s televised speech, Han again asked the president to step down. Han said that the president was not in a state where he usually performs official duties.
“President Yoon Suk Yeol’s early resignation is inevitable,” Han told reporters.
Hong Jang-won, the first deputy director of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, told law enforcement in a closed-door briefing that Yoon called after imposing martial law and ordered him to help the defense force arrest key politicians including Han, the main opposition party. The leader of the Democratic Party Lee Jae-myung and the Speaker of the National Assembly Woo Won Shik, according to Kim Byung-kee, one of the lawmakers who attended the meeting. meeting.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Source link