Six South Korean Opposition Parties Propose Impeachment Against President Yoon Suk Yeol

Protests against the military emergency in South Korea. (Wikimedia Commons/Hashflu)

JAKARTA - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is threatened with impeachment after six opposition parties filed impeachment against him due to an emergency military announcement, on charges of treason.

The six opposition parties, including the main opposition of the Korean Democratic Party (DPK), jointly submitted a bill to the National Assembly on Wednesday to overthrow President Yoon, with a vote on the draft being carried out as early as Friday.

The opposition bloc argues that martial law does not meet any of the necessary requirements, such as maintaining public order during war periods or other national emergencies. They argue that announcing a military emergency under any circumstances cannot be considered a violation of the constitutional order, which could be the basis for impeachment.

The proposal was jointly written by six opposition parties, the DPK, the Korea Redevelopment Party (RKP), the New Reform Party, the Progressive Party, the Basic Revenue Party, and the Social Democratic Party.

All 191 lawmakers from six opposition parties participated in the proposal submission.

A DPK official told reporters the proposal was expected to be officially introduced during a plenary session in the early hours of Thursday, reported by The Korea Times December 4.

After the impeachment motion is submitted, the vote must be carried out within 24 to 72 hours, meaning the vote can start as early as Friday morning.

"We will ask Yoon to be punished for treason for an unconstitutional and illegal military emergency," said DPK spokesman Jo Seoung-lae.

"We will file a complaint against Yoon, Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, and seek to impeach them," he explained.

The defense minister is believed to be the one who suggested martial law to President Yoon, while the interior minister is responsible for overseeing the police.

DPR DPK leader Park Chan-dae said during the protests in the DPR, "It has been confirmed that Yoon is in an abnormal state of mind, so he should not be allowed to carry out his office duties even for a minute or a second. His assessment and awareness of the situation is far from normal."

"An emergency announcement of the military violates procedural and substantive aspects of the Constitution and law, which provides a solid basis for impeachment. Yoon is the leader of the uprising, as defined by our Constitution. As the leader of the uprising, Yoon must immediately resign from his presidency," he explained.

It is known that the impeachment motion requires the presence of more than half of the members of the Assembly and the approval of at least two-thirds of those present to be ratified.

This means more than 200 votes out of a total of 300 are needed if all members of the Assembly attend the vote. In addition, at least eight lawmakers from the ruling People's Power Party (PPP) must join the opposition in supporting the motion.

If impeachment motion is passed, President Yoon's authority will be suspended immediately, with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo taking on the role of acting president. President Yoon's power will be suspended until the Constitutional Court reaches a decision on impeachment.

It is still unclear how many PPP members will support the motion.

Meanwhile, PPP Chairman Han Dong-hoon has taken a critical stance against the military emergency declaration, while the pro-Yoon faction in the party has taken a more careful approach.

Earlier, President Yoon declared martial law on Tuesday at 22:23 p.m. local time, the reason for the urgent need to eradicate "anti-state forces," targeting the opposition, which has repeatedly blocked the appointment of personnel and their budget proposals.

About 280 soldiers entered the Assembly complex and the main building. On the other hand, 190 MPs managed to reach the main hall and voted at around 1 a.m. Wednesday, demanding that the president withdraw the military emergency.

Since the law requires the president to comply with the Assembly's vote, President Yoon announced his decision to comply around 4:20 a.m., ending the crisis for six hours.