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05-12-2024
SEOUL: South Korean MPs have begun impeachment proceedings against President Yoon Suk Yeol after thwarting his shock move to impose martial law
The president had said martial law was needed to protect the country from “North Korea’s communist forces” and to “eliminate anti-state elements”
Though he cited North Korea, President Yoon’s decision was seen as a response to domestic pressure and a series of scandals
Less than two hours after his declaration, MPs forced their way into the National Assembly and voted to block his decision some broke through barricades; one MP told media protesters helped him climb over a wall
After the assembly vote, President Yoon announced he was reversing his martial law decision MPs will now vote on his impeachment in the coming days
Yoon’s defence minister Kim Yong-hyun, said to be influential in the president’s martial law plan offered his resignation on Wednesday
And a woman who stood before a soldier and grabbed his gun in parliament last night has told media why she did it
As night falls in Seoul, thousands of South Koreans are braving freezing temperatures to march to the National Assembly, reiterating calls for President Yoon to be impeached:
A South Korean opposition politician tells media that “whether (President Yoon) resigns or not, we are going to impeach him”.
Joon Hyung Kim, a member of the National Assembly for the Rebuilding Korea party, tells media World Service’s Newsday that the president is “the biggest risk in Korea right now”.
“He has a very divisive nature, his world-view is like, black and white,” Joon says. “He considered opposition parties, parliamentary members as anti-state groups. It was turmoil, but we prevailed, and you know, this is power of Korean democracy.”
A viral video from last night when martial law was briefly declared in South Korea captured a shocking moment: armed soldiers entering the National Assembly, and a woman standing defiantly before them at gunpoint.
“I didn’t think…I just knew we had to stop this,” the defiant woman, Ahn Gwi-ryeong tells media.
Arriving at the National Assembly just past 23:00, Ahn, a 35-year-old spokeswoman for the opposition Democratic Party recalls turning off office lights to avoid detection, as helicopters circled overhead.
By the time she reached the main building, soldiers were confronting officials, aides, and citizens.
When the military began advancing, Ahn stepped forward.
“Honestly, I was scared at first…but seeing such confrontation, I thought, ‘I can’t stay silent.’”
Overcome with emotion, she says it is “heartbreaking and frustrating that this is happening in 21st Century Korea,” before breaking down in tears.
Chun In-Bum, a retired South Korean army lieutenant-general, says he was “dumbfounded” as he followed yesterday’s events on television.
“I’m not one to be surprised easily but yesterday was a really scary moment for me,” he tells media but “fortunately the democratic system worked”.
Asked about why President Yoon may have chosen to impose martial law, Chun cites “continuous attacks” by the opposition which Yoon saw as “a direct threat to democracy” but “declaring martial law is a bit too much,” he adds. (Int’l News Desk)
