South Korea – The constitutional court of South Korea has initiated proceedings regarding the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is currently suspended from his position following his unsuccessful attempt to impose martial law.
Mr. Yoon faced removal by South Korea’s parliament due to his brief effort to halt civilian governance, resulting in the country’s most severe political crisis in years.
The Constitutional Court has a period of approximately six months to decide whether to validate the impeachment.
If he is ousted, fresh elections are mandated to take place within two months. In the interim, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is acting as the leader in Mr. Yoon’s absence.
Meanwhile, the South Korean government has been attempting to maintain a semblance of normalcy.
Mr. Yoon is under a travel prohibition while the investigation is ongoing.
The prosecution announced in a news release that they had summoned Mr. Yoon for questioning regarding allegations of insurrection and abuse of power, “but he declined to cooperate.”
Yoon labeled as ‘ringleader’
According to Yonhap, a concurrent investigation involving a joint police, anti-corruption office, and defense ministry team is also requesting Mr. Yoon’s presence for questioning.
They reportedly accuse Mr. Yoon of being the “ringleader” behind the martial law initiative.
Significant protests against the former leader, along with smaller gatherings in support of him, have shaken the South Korean capital since the declaration of martial law.
The head of Mr. Yoon’s ruling People Power Party (PPP), who has not been implicated in the martial law attempt and has publicly supported impeachment, has stepped down.
Widespread protests opposing the former leader have engulfed the South Korean capital since his martial law announcement.
“I deeply apologize to all the citizens who have suffered because of the emergency martial law situation,” Han Dong-hoon stated at a news conference in Seoul.
By declaring martial law, Mr. Yoon pledged to “eradicate anti-state elements” and intimated that the electoral system was susceptible to external interference.
Han Dong-hoon criticized “extremists, including those who peddle election fraud conspiracy theories,” and cautioned that “there will be no future for conservatism” if the party considers such views.
“I hope for our nation’s prosperity,” he added.
North Korea’s response
At the same time, the South Korean government has been endeavoring to convey a business-as-usual atmosphere.
Acting president Han Duck-soo conducted a call with U.S. President Joe Biden, who reaffirmed the strength of bilateral relations.
Mr. Han has additionally instructed the military to “enhance vigilance” against North Korea, with which the South is technically still at war.
North Korean state media labeled Mr. Yoon as a “ringleader of rebellion,” marking its initial reaction to his impeachment.
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The state-run Korean Central News Agency claimed Mr. Yoon had tried to shift the blame for the “foolish emergency martial law declaration” onto opposition parties.
“The investigation into puppet Yoon Suk Yeol, the ringleader of the rebellion, and his accomplices is ongoing,” KCNA reported.
“The puppet Constitutional Court will ultimately decide” on Mr. Yoon’s removal, it asserted.
North Korean state media frequently refers to the leaders and institutions of the South as “puppets” of South Korea’s treaty ally, the United States.
Relations between the two Koreas are at some of their lowest points in years, with the North undertaking a series of ballistic missile tests in contravention of UN sanctions.
