South Korea ruling party vows to engineer ‘orderly exit’ for Yoon

SEOUL – The leader of South Korea’s ruling People Power Party (PPP) said on Dec 8 that Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will manage the nation’s affairs as the country deals with the fallout from a political crisis sparked by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s bungled martial law.

The party will prepare an orderly exit plan for Mr Yoon, PPP leader Han Dong-hoon said in a prepared statement after meeting the Prime Minister.

“The President will not be involved in any state affairs including diplomacy before his exit,” party leader Han said.

“The government will do its best to keep the trust of our allies,” Prime Minister Han said. “Most importantly, the approval of the government budget plan and accompanying Bills is key to the country’s normal operation,” he added.

Earlier on Dec 8, South Korean prosecutors arrested former defence minister Kim Yong-hyun over his alleged role in

President Yoon’s declaration of martial law,

Yonhap News Agency said.

The Korea Herald reported that Mr Kim was arrested for insurrection by advising conservative President Yoon to declare martial law.

It added that Mr Kim is the first person to be arrested in connection with the six-hour martial law crisis in South Korea.

The national police also raided Mr Kim’s office as part of an investigation into claims of treason against Mr Yoon and top ministers, Yonhap said.

The prosecution’s special investigation headquarters put Mr Kim under emergency arrest and confiscated his phone as the 65-year-old is suspected of instigating violence to subvert national power, abusing his authority and obstructing others from exercising rights.

South Korean officials said an investigation team under the police has obtained a court warrant to access Mr Kim’s call records, said Yonhap, adding that Mr Kim has been taken to a detention centre in eastern Seoul.

The police said they will dispatch 30 officers to run a 150-member special investigation team, as part of efforts to bolster investigation into the short-lived martial law declaration.

Mr Kim voluntarily appeared at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office for questioning at around 1.30am local time (12.30am Singapore time). The office was not immediately available for comment.

Mr Kim, who offered his resignation on Dec 4, was seen as a central figure in the martial law declaration. A senior military official and filings by opposition members to impeach Mr Yoon said Mr Kim had made the proposal to Mr Yoon.

Three minority opposition parties filed a complaint with the prosecution against Mr Yoon, Mr Kim and martial law commander Park An-su, accusing them of insurrection. If convicted, the crime of leading an insurrection is punishable by death or life imprisonment, with or without prison labour.

Mr Kim faces a travel ban as prosecutors investigate the matter, Yonhap said.

Opposition lawmakers alleged Mr Yoon mobilised military forces to block a vote by lawmakers seeking to nullify what they said was an unconstitutional martial law decree.

Earlier on Dec 7,

Mr Yoon addressed the nation in a televised speech to apologise

for his martial law decree, saying he would not avoid legal and political responsibilities for his action, though he did not offer to resign.

Mr Yoon said he would put his fate in the hands of the ruling party, which party leader Han Dong-hoon later said was effectively a promise to leave office early.

Mr Han Dong-hoon has said Mr Yoon would be “effectively excluded from his duties”, and his party will consult with the Prime Minister to manage state affairs.

Mr Yoon shocked the nation late on Dec 3 when he gave the military sweeping emergency powers to root out what he called “anti-state forces” and obstructionist political opponents. He rescinded the order six hours later, after Parliament defied military and police cordons to vote unanimously against the decree.

The martial law declaration plunged South Korea, Asia’s fourth-largest economy and a key US military ally, into its greatest political crisis in decades, threatening to shatter the country’s reputation as a democratic success story. BLOOMBERG, REUTERS, THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK