SEOUL: South Korean lawmakers on Wednes­day proposed impeaching President Yoon Suk Yeol for his sudden decision to declare martial law, which he rescinded after a chaotic standoff between parliament and the army that damaged the country’s standing.

Yoon’s declaration of martial law late on Tuesday attempted to ban political activity and censor the media in South Korea, which has Asia’s fourth largest economy and is a key US ally.

Washington had no advance notice of the decision, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said, adding that he expected to speak with his South Korean counterpart in the coming days.

Armed troops had forced their way into the National Assembly building in Seoul, but stood back when parliamentary aides sprayed them with fire extinguishers. Lawmakers rejected the martial law decision while protesters scuffled with police outside.

Protesters descend on downtown Seoul, markets rattled as six opposition parties lobby to unseat Yoon after ‘misadventure’

On Wednesday evening, civic and labour groups held a candlelight vigil in downtown Seoul calling for Yoon’s resignation — a reminder of the massive candlelight protests that led to the impeachment of former president Park Geun-hye in 2017. They then marched to the presidential office.

Six opposition parties submitted a bill in parliament to impeach Yoon, who had already faced accusations of heavy-handed leadership from his opponents and from within his own party, with voting set for Friday or Saturday.

“We couldn’t ignore the illegal martial law,” Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yong-min told reporters. “We can no longer let democracy collapse.”

The leader of President Yoon’s People Power Party called for Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun to be fired and the entire cabinet to resign. Kim has offered to resign, the defence ministry said.

The crisis rattled global financial markets and left South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI index down 1.4 per cent, taking its year-to-date losses to over seven per cent and making it the worst performing major stock market in Asia this year.

No specific threats

President Yoon told the nation in a television speech late on Tuesday that martial law was needed to defend the country from “pro-North Korean anti-state forces”, and protect the free constitutional order, although he cited no specific threats.

Within hours, South Korea’s parliament, with 190 of its 300 members present, unanimously passed a motion for martial law to be lifted, with 18 members of Yoon’s party present.

The president then rescinded the declaration of martial law, around six hours after its proclamation.

Protesters outside the National Assembly shouted and clapped. They chanted “We won” and one demonstrator banged on a drum.

“There are opinions that it was too much to go to emergency martial law, and that we did not follow the procedures for emergency martial law, but it was done strictly within the constitutional framework,” a South Korean presidential official said.

There has been no reaction yet from North Korea to the drama in the South.

The South Korean president has been embraced by leaders in the West as a partner in the US-led effort to unify democracies against growing authoritarianism across the globe.

But he caused unease among South Koreans by branding his critics as “communist totalitarian and anti-state forces” as his approval ratings slipped.

Last month, he denied wrongdoing in response to influence-peddling allegations against him and his wife and he has taken a hard line against labour unions.

The National Assembly can impeach the president if more than two-thirds of lawmakers vote in favour. A trial by the constitutional court follows, which can confirmthe motion with a vote by six of the nine justices.

‘Dodged a bullet’

If Yoon resigned or was removed from office, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo would fill in as leader until a new election was held within 60 days.

“South Korea as a nation dodged a bullet, but President Yoon may have shot himself in the foot,” Danny Russel, vice president of the Washington-based Asia Society Policy Institute, said of the first martial law declaration in South Korea since 1980.

Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, said he welcomed Yoon’s decision to rescind the martial law declaration.

“We continue to expect political disagreements to be resolved peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law,” he said in a statement.

Russia also said it was following the “tragic” events in South Korea with concern.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2024