South Korea’s martial law bid seen as ‘political suicide’ for Yoon as impeachment looms
As South Korea’s political crisis deepens, the world will closely monitor the outcome of the impeachment motion filed against Yoon Suk-yeol
His political career was all but over, said analysts, dealing a huge blow to traditional conservative forces in the country, but the more intriguing question for now was how he would be dealt with, as previous presidents had been sent to jail for lesser indiscretions.
The embattled leader’s gamble late on Tuesday night and a U-turn barely six hours later after lawmakers scrambled to vote against the decree was almost unanimously called a “political suicide” by observers.
An impeachment motion filed by opposition parties on Wednesday could be put to a vote as early as Friday. It would require the support of two-thirds of parliament for the motion and then the backing of at least six Constitutional Court justices. The motion was submitted jointly by the main opposition Democratic Party and five smaller opposition parties.
Yoon’s senior advisers and secretaries offered to resign collectively, with Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun later following suit and saying in a statement: “I deeply regret and take full responsibility for all matters related to the martial law.”
On Wednesday, thousands of South Koreans marched in the streets of Seoul demanding Yoon’s resignation over his martial law move – the first such imposition by a leader in the country since 1980.
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South Korea’s Yoon faces impeachment after martial law ‘catastrophic miscalculation’, warn analysts
