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Leader South KoreaThe ruling People’s Power Party warned that president Yoon Suk Yeol could pose a serious risk to the nation’s security, supporting calls for his suspension after a failed attempt to impose a state of emergency earlier this week.
Speaking at a party meeting on Friday, Han Dong Hoon accused the president of planning actions that could destabilize the country.
“If President Yoon continues to serve as president, there is a significant risk that extreme actions similar to the declaration of a state of emergency may recur, which could put the Republic of Korea and its citizens in great danger,” he said.
This comes amid reports that Mr Yoon and Mr Han will meet on Friday afternoon at the president’s request.
Mr Yoon, who had reportedly planned to appear in parliament, pulled out, according to BBC News. The report, however, did not specify the agenda of his visit.
“All of a sudden he wants to come in here? There is no way,” said Democratic Party member Jeong Jun-ho, according to the agency. “He did not consult us or inform us.”
South Korea’s special warfare commander and the speaker of the National Assembly said they would refuse to implement the new state of emergency order, local media reported.
Acting Defense Minister Kim Seon Ho sought to allay fears of the president reimposing martial law, calling such reports inaccurate.
He also said at a media briefing that he will not obey any order to implement another declaration of emergency.
Kwak Jong Geun also said that former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, who resigned on Thursday, issued the order to “drag away lawmakers” who had gathered in parliament to vote on Yoon’s state of emergency decree.
Mr. Yoon declared a state of emergency late on Tuesday, claiming it was necessary to counter “anti-state forces”. The decree shocked the country and several members of his own party joined the opposition to overturn it in a parliamentary vote within six hours.
The main opposition The Democratic Party scheduled a vote on the president’s impeachment for Saturday night. The approval of the proposal would require the support of 200 of the 300 members of the National Assembly. The opposition parties have 192 seats and will need at least eight members of the ruling party to vote with them.
Mr. Han, who is considered an ally of Mr. Yoon, indicated that recent revelations about the president’s behavior during the martial law period had made him reconsider his view of him. “I said yesterday that I would try not to issue this impeachment to prevent harm to people and supporters caused by unprepared chaos, but I believe that the immediate suspension of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s office is necessary to protect the Republic of Korea and its people in light of the newly revealed facts,” said the leader.
The leader stated that Mr. Yoon ordered the arrest key political figures under a state of emergency. The president’s office disputed that claim, Yonhap news agency reported.
The head of South Korea’s spy agency also backed the claim, saying they had not received any orders from the president to arrest the lawmakers.
Mr. Yoon the decree on the state of emergency caused sharp domestic and international criticism. Democratic Party leader Lee Jae Myung accused him of attempting a “coup” and said it damaged South Korea’s democratic image.
“Yoon’s implementation of martial law amounted to rebellion and a coup d’état. It has paralyzed our foreign policy and brought shame to the Republic of Korea,” he said in a televised speech on Friday.
The US expressed concern over the imposition of a state of emergency, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed its swift turnaround during talks with South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae Yul.
“The American people stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of the Republic of Korea and will continue to do so in the face of any provocation or threat to the Alliance,” he said, referring to South Korea by its official name.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has canceled a visit to South Korea, citing the ongoing political crisis.
Mr. Yoon’s actions sparked widespread demonstrations calling for his resignation and impeachment. Korea’s metalworkers’ union began an hourly strike on Thursday and threatened indefinite industrial action if the president remains in office beyond December 11.
Adding to the political instability, the ruling party is reportedly divided over the impeachment. While some lawmakers argued that Mr. Yoon’s impeachment would preserve South Korea’s democratic integrity, others feared that the political infighting could reflect the chaos that followed the 2016 impeachment of former President Park Geun Hye.
“Each lawmaker must now decide whether he wants to side with the people or become a collaborator of the emergency forces,” said senior ruling party lawmaker Cho Kyoung Tae.
Yoon Sang Hyun, a prominent party figure, expressed opposition to the impeachment. “We cannot impeach the president tomorrow and hand over the regime to Lee Jae Myung’s Democratic Party. It is not for the protection of President Yoon Suk Yeol, but for the sake of the ROK system and the future of our children,” he said.
South Korea’s chief prosecutor, Shim Woo Jung, announced a plan to investigate the sedition allegations against Mr. Yoon.
Current presidents in the Asian country enjoy constitutional immunity, but it does not apply to charges of treason or sedition.
The prosecutor also imposed a travel ban on Mr. Kim, the former defense minister, who allegedly played a key role in Mr. Yoon’s bid to declare martial law.
The Ministry of Defense also suspended three commanders for imposing a state of emergency, it announced on Friday. Military prosecutors filed a request to ban 10 officers from leaving the country due to the introduction of a state of emergency, the Ministry of Defense announced.
The Democratic Party was considering filing legal action against the ruling party leader, Choo Kyung Ho, for allegedly facilitating Mr. Yoon’s implementation of martial law by diverting members of the National Assembly.
Han’s clash with former ally Mr. Yoon has added another layer of complexity to the impeachment debate within the ruling party. The leaders’ statements on Thursday reflected the growing rift in the party.
“Taking into account the newly emerging facts, I believe that the swift suspension of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s duties is necessary to protect the Republic of Korea and its people,” Han stressed.
Uncertainty over the president’s leadership has plunged South Korea into a political crisis, with implications for both domestic stability and international relations.
As lawmakers prepare to vote on the impeachment motion, the country is waiting to see if its democratic institutions can withstand the challenge.
Additional agency reporting.