SEOUL, December 4. /TASS/. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has met with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and the leadership of the ruling People’s Power Party amid the beginning of impeachment proceedings against him by the opposition, Yonhap reported.
The meeting was attended by People’s Power Party’s leader Han Dong-hoon, who said earlier that the declaration of martial law by the South Korean leader was the "wrong" move, as well as by Choo Kyung-ho, the head of the party’s parliamentary faction. "They seriously discussed the current situation, and there was no difference in opinions," a senior presidential official said, adding that Yoon's potential departure from the party was not brought up during the meeting. Earlier, Han said that he would continue carrying out his duties.
The office of the South Korean leader claimed that Yoon acted in accordance with the constitution when he declared martial law. The president has the right to do so but in this case, the opposition considered this move anti-constitutional because, in its opinion, there were no grounds for it. While the president ultimately abided by the parliament’s decision to lift martial law, measures were taken to block the vote.
Six opposition parties have backed impeachment proceedings against the president, with the vote expected later this week. The initiative must be supported by 200 out of 300 delegates in the National Assembly, with People’s Power having the most seats - 108. That said, it is known that some of its delegates voted to lift martial law.
However, even with two-thirds of the parliamentary vote, the impeachment will be reviewed by the Constitutional Court. It needs a quorum of seven members to hear such matters, but currently, only six of the Court’s nine seats are filled. Judges are approved by the president. According to some interpretations of the constitution, the president may also leave some seats in the Constitutional Court vacant.
On the evening of December 3, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in the country. A few hours later, the parliament voted to lift it. Later, when the leader promised to reverse his decision, the Cabinet of Ministers supported him. All this happened in less than six hours. South Korea has not seen martial law for 45 years.