6-12-2024 (SEOUL) The leader of South Korea’s ruling People Power Party (PPP) has called for President Yoon Suk Yeol’s removal from office following a failed attempt to impose martial law that has thrown the nation into political turmoil.
Han Dong-hoon, the PPP leader, delivered his bombshell statement on Friday, declaring that President Yoon’s removal is “necessary to protect the Republic of Korea and its people” after revelations that the president had planned to arrest political opponents under the guise of combating “anti-state forces.”
The crisis erupted on Tuesday when President Yoon made the shocking announcement of martial law implementation, only to withdraw it six hours later following parliamentary opposition, including resistance from within his own party. The dramatic U-turn has sparked a national police investigation into allegations of insurrection, with an impeachment vote scheduled for Saturday evening.
Fresh evidence has emerged suggesting that Yoon had intended to detain political leaders at a facility in Gwacheon, south of Seoul. This revelation appears to have shifted the ruling party’s stance, which had initially opposed impeachment proceedings.
Opposition lawmakers, fearing another martial law attempt, have established a rotating presence in parliament’s plenary session hall. Democratic Party spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong, who gained public attention after a widely circulated image showed her confronting a soldier outside parliament, questioned the president’s judgment. “Who could trust a president declaring martial law almost like a child playing games?” she remarked.
The political crisis has severely impacted Yoon’s popularity, with the latest Gallup Korea poll showing his approval rating plummeting to a mere 13 percent.
However, the PPP remains divided on the impeachment question. Senior lawmaker Cho Kyoung-tae urged colleagues to choose between supporting the public interest or aligning with “martial law forces.” In contrast, veteran parliamentarian Yoon Sang-hyun expressed opposition to impeachment, warning against a repeat of the 2016 political upheaval that followed former President Park Geun-hye’s removal from office.
