SEOUL, December 4. /TASS/. Six South Korean opposition parties have submitted a bill calling for President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment, the Yonhap news agency reported.
The news agency recalled that according to the norms, the bill will now be discussed in the parliament on December 5, and the vote will take place within 24 to 72 hours. This means that the decision to impeach the South Korean president could be made on December 6 or 7. A total of 191 lawmakers have so far supported the bill.
The National Assembly, South Korea's parliament, has 300 seats, 108 of which are controlled by the president's People Power Party. Two-thirds of the lawmakers must vote in favor of the bill to impeach Yoon Suk Yeol. If the bill receives enough votes, the issue will be reviewed by the Constitutional Court. Six out of nine judges would have to support the president's impeachment. While the matter is being considered by the Constitutional Court, the president's powers will be frozen. The prime minister will act in his place.
On the evening of December 3, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced the introduction of martial law. He justified his decision by saying that the opposition, which has the most seats in parliament, was paralyzing the work of the executive branch by trying to impeach its representatives, including key government figures. The South Korean leader stressed that he was taking these measures to combat "pro-North Korean elements" and to protect the constitutional order. In announcing his decision to lift martial law a few hours later, Yoon Suk Yeol called on the parliament to abandon its repeated attempts to impeach the president, as well as its legislative and budgetary plans.