The head of South Korea’s ruling party, Han Dong-hoon, has called for the suspension of President Yoon Suk-yeol’s powers after he attempted to arrest political leaders following a brief declaration of martial law. Han cited “credible evidence” that Yoon ordered the arrest of major political figures and mobilized intelligence institutions for this purpose. He expressed concern that Yoon might take similar extreme actions in the future if he remains in office. The National Assembly quickly overturned Yoon’s martial law order in a unanimous vote, and investigations into treason allegations against Yoon and other officials are ongoing.
Han’s call for Yoon’s powers to be suspended represents a significant shift in the ruling party’s response to the crisis. The opposition Democratic Party has called for an impeachment vote, and Han’s support is crucial for the motion to pass. The ruling party had previously indicated opposition to Yoon’s impeachment, possibly out of fear of backlash similar to that seen after the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye in 2016. Park was later convicted of corruption and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
South Korea has a history of presidents facing impeachment or imprisonment for corruption since the transition to democracy in the late 1980s. Yoon’s future now hangs in the balance as the political turmoil continues in the country.
Source
Photo credit www.aljazeera.com