On December 5, 2024, in Seoul, South Korea, strikes and protests continued during the martial law crisis, and people marched in heavy rain to protest against South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol.
Daniel Zeng | Anadolu | Getty Images
South Korea’s leadership crisis deepened on Sunday, with prosecutors naming President Yun Seok-yeol as the subject of a criminal investigation into last week’s attempt to impose martial law and the arrest of South Korea’s former defense minister, media reported.
Yoon faced an impeachment vote in the opposition-led parliament on Saturday night over his brief attempt to impose martial law on Tuesday, but the leader of his own party said the president would effectively be ruled out before eventually stepping down.
The proposal appeared to have the tacit approval of the Yoon-appointed prime minister on Sunday, but was condemned by opposition lawmakers who said it was another unconstitutional power grab to delegate power without resignation or impeachment.
Thousands of people rallied in front of Seoul’s parliament on Sunday, calling for Yoon’s impeachment and arrest and the dissolution of his ruling party.
Yoon’s declaration of martial law on Tuesday plunged Asia’s fourth-largest economy and a key U.S. military ally into its worst political crisis in decades and threatened to undermine South Korea’s reputation as a democratic success story.
Han Dong-hoon, leader of Yun’s People’s Power Party, said at a news conference with the prime minister on Sunday that Yun would not participate in foreign affairs and other state affairs before resigning early.
But National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik said it was unconstitutional to delegate presidential power to the prime minister and the ruling party without impeachment. John Woo proposed convening a meeting of rival political parties to discuss ways to immediately suspend President Yoon’s power.
The main opposition Democratic Party has called for President Yoon to be immediately suspended from office and stripped of his power to control the military. The Democratic Party has called for the arrest of Yoon and relevant military officials related to the martial law fiasco.
Mr Yoon shocked the country on Tuesday night when he gave the military sweeping emergency powers to root out what he called “anti-national forces” and obstructionist political opponents. He revoked the order six hours later after parliament voted unanimously against the decree, defying a military and police blockade.
criminal investigation
Yonhap News Agency reported that prosecutors had “booked” Yoon, a procedure in South Korea that involves formally naming the subject of the investigation. Prosecutors could not immediately be reached for comment on the report.
Three minority opposition parties filed complaints with prosecutors against Yoon, former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and martial law commander Park Ahn-soo, accusing them of rebellion. The crime of leading a rebellion is punishable by death or life imprisonment, with or without time served. Kim Jae-yin, who stepped down on Wednesday after lifting martial law, is seen as a central figure in the disaster.
He has proposed martial law to the president, according to a senior military official and impeachment documents. The prosecutor’s special investigation team said in a brief statement to reporters that it arrested Kim Jong Un on Sunday and confiscated his mobile phone.
Kim voluntarily appeared at the Seoul Central District Prosecutor’s Office around 1:30 a.m. Sunday (1630 GMT Saturday) before the arrest, according to Yonhap news agency.
Yonhap news agency said national police raided Kim Jong Un’s office on Sunday as part of an investigation into alleged treason against Yun Jong and senior ministers. Opposition lawmakers accuse Yoon of mobilizing the military to prevent lawmakers from voting in an attempt to abolish what they say is an unconstitutional martial law.
military crisis
Hours before Saturday’s impeachment vote, Yoon addressed the nation in a televised address, apologizing for his martial law imposition and saying he would leave his fate in the hands of his party. Han Kuo-yu said the remarks were actually a promise to leave office early, adding that the ruling party would manage national affairs in consultation with the prime minister.
South Korean Prime Minister Han Deok-soo said on Sunday that the cabinet would do its best to “maintain trust with allies,” referring to the United States and Japan. The ruling party offered no details on a plan to prevent Yoon Eun-hye from being impeached but have him give up power, a proposal that adds more confusion to the presidential power crisis. In an effort to reassure the public, several military leaders, including the acting defense secretary, said they would reject any order to impose a new round of martial law.
South Korea’s Defense Ministry did not respond to repeated questions from foreign media on Sunday about who is the commander-in-chief of the South Korean military.
“I think (military commanders) are very disappointed and some of them feel betrayed. It will take a lot of work to regain the trust of the military,” said retired Lieutenant General Chun In-bum. Former commanders of the army and the country’s special forces blamed politicians for the chaos.
“I’m not happy with them using the military to do their job. Trying to use the military to solve political problems is a wrong decision,” Chun said. Analysts say the leadership crisis could undermine allies’ efforts to deter nuclear-armed North Korea.
“North Korea may take a wait-and-see approach to these events, but it cannot be ruled out that Pyongyang will try to exploit divisions in Seoul,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.
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