South Korea opposition leader Lee says impeaching Yoon is the best way to restore order

SEOUL - South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung said on Dec 13 that 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 Mr Yoon’s short-lived imposition of martial law.

Mr Yoon’s move to impose military rule on Dec 3 was rescinded within hours, but it plunged the country into a constitutional crisis and widespread calls for him to step down for breaking the law.

Mr Yoon on Dec 12 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 Mr 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.

Mr Yoon survived the first attempt to impeach him on Dec 7 when most of his ruling People Power Party (PPP) boycotted the vote. Since then, some PPP members have publicly supported a vote to impeach him.

Opposition parties, which control the single-chamber Parliament, have introduced another impeachment Bill and plan to hold a vote on Dec 14. They need at least eight PPP members to join to pass the Bill with the two-thirds majority required.

Mr Lee called on opposition members to “join and vote yes for impeachment,” saying “history will remember and record your decision.”

A vote to impeach Mr 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 Mr Yoon’s defiant address on Dec 12, including his claim that a hack by North Korea 2023 may have compromised the computer system of the National Election Commission, without citing evidence.

Mr 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.

On Dec 13, the Secretary General of the commission Kim Yong-bin denied the possibility of election fraud, saying voting is entirely done by paper ballots and the courts have dismissed all 216 claims of irregularities raised as groundless.

Mr Yoon is separately under criminal investigation for alleged insurrection over the martial law declaration. REUTERS