South Korean Opposition Leader Urges For Impeachment Of President

South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung said on Friday the best way to restore order in the country is to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, a day ahead of a planned parliamentary vote over Yoon’s short-lived imposition of martial law.

Yoon’s move to impose military rule on Dec. 3 was rescinded barely six hours later but it plunged the country into a constitutional crisis and widespread calls for him to step down for breaking the law.

The beleaguered president survived an initial impeachment attempt a week earlier when his People Power Party (PPP) boycotted the vote, preventing a quorum.

At least seven members of the PPP have since declared their intention to support impeachment on Saturday, nearing the eight PPP votes needed to reach the 200 vote threshold alongside the 192 opposition party lawmakers.

Yoon on Thursday vowed to “fight to the end,” blaming the opposition party for paralysing the government and claiming a North Korean hack into the election commission made his party’s crushing defeat in an April parliamentary election questionable.

Democratic Party leader Lee called Yoon’s remarks “a declaration of war” against the people. “It proved that impeachment is the fastest and the most effect way to end the confusion,” he said.

Yoon survived the first attempt to impeach him last Saturday when most of his ruling People Power Party (PPP) boycotted the vote. Since then at least seven PPP members have publicly supported a vote to impeach him.

Opposition parties have introduced another impeachment bill and plan to hold a vote at 4 p.m. (0700 GMT) on Saturday.

Lee called on PPP members to “join and vote yes for impeachment,” saying “history will remember and record your decision.” A vote to impeach Yoon would send the case to the Constitutional Court, which has up to six months to decide whether to remove him from office or reinstate him.

There was more criticism of Yoon’s defiant address on Thursday, including his claim that a hack by North Korea last year may have compromised the computer system of the National Election Commission, without citing evidence.

Yoon cited as one reason for declaring martial law a refusal by the commission to cooperate fully in a systems inspection which meant the integrity of the parliamentary election held in April could not be assured.

Reuters/Ejiofor Ezeifeoma