On Friday, December 6th, the leader of the ruling party in South Korea, the “National Power Party,” Han Dong-hoon, announced his support for suspending President Yoon Suk-yeol’s powers during the party’s highest committee meeting in the parliament. He stated that, given the current situation, it is necessary to swiftly halt Yoon Suk-yeol’s governance to ensure national stability.
According to intelligence received by Han Dong-hoon, Yoon Suk-yeol had ordered the arrest and detention of several key political figures by the National Defense Counterintelligence Command on grounds of alleged involvement in “anti-state activities” during martial law.
Han Dong-hoon expressed concerns over the “significant risk of extreme actions by Yoon Suk-yeol,” warning that any attempt by him to reinstate martial law could pose great danger to the Republic of Korea and its citizens.
By publicly supporting the suspension of President Yoon Suk-yeol’s powers on Friday, Han has significantly increased the likelihood of impeachment proceedings against Yoon.
Under South Korean law, the impeachment of Yoon Suk-yeol requires the support of two-thirds of the National Assembly, which means 200 out of 300 members. Currently, the opposition parties proposing impeachment hold 192 seats.
If Yoon Suk-yeol is impeached, he will be suspended from office until the Constitutional Court determines whether to dismiss him or reinstate his presidential powers. In the interim, Prime Minister Han Duk-soo will assume presidential duties.
Just a day prior, Han Dong-hoon had criticized the unconstitutional nature of Yoon’s martial law decree but had expressed reluctance to support impeachment, citing the need to prevent damage to citizens and supporters due to unprepared chaos.
Following the successful vote to overturn Yoon Suk-yeol’s martial law decree on the night it was imposed, with 18 lawmakers from the anti-Yoon faction within the National Power Party and opposition parties joining forces, the martial law lasted only about six hours. It was swiftly overturned in parliament, compelling Yoon Suk-yeol to lift the martial law before dawn.
During a televised address, the leader of the main opposition party, the Common Democratic Party, Lee Jae-myung, emphasized the imperative to “promptly” suspend Yoon Suk-yeol’s duties, highlighting its crucial importance for the nation’s future stability and democratic progress.
Lee Jae-myung stated that Yoon Suk-yeol’s enforcement of martial law amounted to “rebellion, and was effectively a self-coup.” He pointed out the severe damage caused to the country’s image by Yoon’s actions, which paralyzed diplomatic policies and led to criticisms from the Biden administration and cancellations of visits by foreign leaders to South Korea.