The last 24-hour period has seen rapid developments in South Korea, resulting today in the introduction of a second impeachment motion of President Yoon Suk Yeol. The vote, now scheduled for Dec. 14, is almost certain to force Yoon out of office.
In the first vote on impeachment, Dec. 7, Yoon’s People’s Power Party had blocked the two-thirds vote (200 of the 300 legislators) required for impeachment; however, they still have been pushing for him to resign. Yesterday, PPP leader Han Dong-hoon issued a joint statement with Prime Minister Han Duk-soo, promising Yoon’s orderly, early resignation.
However, this morning, despite earlier apologies and expressed remorse for his actions, Yoon doubled down, making an unscheduled televised public address, which made clear he had hardened his position. He vowed, as reported by Yonhap News, to fight to the end against impeachment and/or the probe into his insurrectionary actions. He defended his martial law declaration as an act of governance, not an insurrection, and insisted that he only acted “to protect the nation and normalize state affairs” against the opposition that paralyzed the government. It is not clear whether Yoon thought his direct appeal to the public would change much, as polls still show about 75% in favor of impeachment.
At issue was the opposition Democratic Party cutting his budget. On Dec. 3, Yoon declared martial law, accusing the opposition of being agents of North Korean subversion: “I declare martial law to protect the free Republic of Korea from the threat of North Korean communist forces, to eradicate the despicable pro-North Korean anti-state forces [that is, forces in South Korea] that are plundering the freedom and happiness of our people, and to protect the free constitutional order.” Today, he repeated such polemics, accusing his political opponents of perpetuating “clear anti-state behavior aimed at inciting rebellion,” which have “paralyzed state affairs and turned the National Assembly into a den of criminals.” The Assembly, he said, “has become a monster that destroys the Constitutional order of free democracy.”
After Yoon’s televised refusal to back down, today the leader of his PPP, Han Dong-hoon, threw his support behind a parliamentary vote to impeach Yoon. He also called for an ethics committee session to discuss whether to demand that Yoon leave the party. He told reporters: “The president’s duties must be swiftly straightened out and suspended through the impeachment process. Our party must support impeachment as the party line.” It has become “more clear” that Yoon is unable to carry out his duties as president, he said. He added that Yoon’s broadcast this morning came as a surprise.
Later today, the impeachment resolution was introduced. It appears that Yoon has burned all his bridges and in two days will be a private citizen facing a police investigation for insurrection.