South Korean Lawmakers Call for Impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol
SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean lawmakers on Wednesday called for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol after he declared martial law, only to reverse the move hours later, triggering the biggest political crisis in decades in Asia's fourth-largest economy.
The surprise declaration late on Tuesday ignited a standoff with parliament, which rejected his attempt to ban political activity and censor the media, as armed troops forced their way into the National Assembly building in Seoul.
A coalition of lawmakers from opposition parties said they planned to propose a bill to impeach Yoon on Wednesday, which should be voted on within 72 hours.
> "The parliament should focus on immediately suspending the president’s business to pass an impeachment bill soonest," Hwang Un-ha, a member of the coalition, told reporters.
Yoon's chief of staff and senior secretaries offered to resign en masse, a presidential official said.
Yoon told the nation in a TV address that martial law was needed to defend the country from nuclear-armed North Korea and pro-North anti-state forces, asserting it was essential for protecting the free constitutional order, although he noted no specific threats.
Chaotic scenes ensued as helmeted troops climbed into the parliament building through smashed windows and military helicopters hovered overhead. Parliamentary aides used fire extinguishers to push the soldiers back, while protesters scuffled with police outside.
The military stated that activities by parliament and political parties would be banned, and media and publishers would be under the control of the martial law command.
However, within hours, South Korea's parliament, with 190 of its 300 members present, unanimously passed a motion requiring martial law to be lifted, including all 18 members present from Yoon's party. The president then rescinded the declaration.
Protesters outside the National Assembly shouted and clapped. "We won!" they chanted, and one demonstrator banged on a drum.
More protests are expected on Wednesday, with South Korea's largest union coalition, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, planning to hold a rally in Seoul and vowing to strike until Yoon resigns.
The U.S. embassy urged American citizens in South Korea to avoid areas where protests were taking place, while some major employers, including Naver Corp and LG Electronics Inc, advised employees to work from home.
Financial markets were volatile, with South Korean stocks falling around 2% early on Wednesday, while the won steadied at around 1,418 to the dollar, having previously plunged to a two-year low.
Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok and Bank of Korea Governor Rhee Chang-yong held emergency meetings overnight, and the finance ministry promised to prop up markets if needed.
> "We will inject unlimited liquidity into stocks, bonds, short-term money market as well as the forex market for the time being until they are fully normalized," the government stated.
South Korea's foreign exchange authorities were suspected of selling U.S. dollars on the onshore market early on Wednesday to limit a decline in the won, according to two dealers.
Crisis and Political Ramifications
The main opposition Democratic Party called for Yoon, who has been in office since 2022, to resign or face impeachment over the martial law declaration, the first in South Korea since 1980.
> "Even if martial law is lifted, he cannot avoid treason charges. It was clearly revealed to the entire nation that President Yoon could no longer run the country normally. He should step down," senior DP member Park Chan-dae stated.
The National Assembly can impeach the president if more than two-thirds of lawmakers vote for it. A trial is then held by the constitutional court, which can confirm it with a vote by six of the nine justices. Yoon’s party controls 108 seats in the 300-member legislature.
If Yoon resigned or was removed from office, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo would serve as leader until a new election was held.
> "South Korea as a nation dodged a bullet, but President Yoon may have shot himself in the foot," said Danny Russel, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute.
The crisis in a democracy that has existed since the 1980s caused international alarm, as South Korea is a U.S. ally and major Asian economy. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed Yoon's decision to rescind the martial law declaration, urging that political disagreements be resolved peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law.
South Korea hosts approximately 28,500 American troops as a legacy of the 1950-1953 Korean War. Planned defense talks and joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States were postponed, as reported by the Yonhap news agency. Sweden's prime minister also postponed a visit to South Korea, a spokesperson said.
Yoon, a career prosecutor, secured a narrow victory in the tightest presidential election in South Korean history in 2022, fueled by discontent over economic policies and scandals. However, he has been unpopular, with his support ratings hovering around 20% for months. His People Power Party suffered significant losses at a parliamentary election in April, losing control to opposition parties that captured nearly two-thirds of the unicameral assembly's seats.
Since South Korea's establishment as a republic in 1948, there have been over a dozen instances of martial law declarations. The last one, in 1980, was initiated by military officers led by Chun Doo-hwan to suppress calls for a democratic government restoration.
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