South Korean police and prosecutors have launched separate investigations into President Yoon Seok-yeol, who tried to impose martial law in the country.
⠀
Police said they had created a 120-member special investigation team to look into four complaints accusing the president and others of treason, sedition and abuse of power in connection with the imposition and subsequent lifting of martial law.
⠀
The prosecutor’s office added that an investigation headquarters has been formed to consider similar complaints, headed by the head of the Seoul High Prosecutor’s Office.
⠀
South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol announced on Wednesday night the introduction of martial law “to purge pro-North Korean forces and maintain the liberal constitutional order.” The decision came after the opposition Democratic Party supported a budget-cutting bill in the parliamentary budget committee and filed impeachment motions against the state auditor and chief prosecutor. In this regard, Yun Seok Yeol said that attempts to remove a number of high-ranking officials from power threaten to paralyze power.
⠀
Army special forces were sent to the country’s parliament to block the passage of deputies, but the National Assembly of South Korea was still able to meet and voted to lift martial law. 190 out of 300 deputies were present at the meeting; they unanimously supported the demand for the president to withdraw his decision.
⠀
According to the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, the president is obliged to lift martial law in the country after parliament voted by a majority against its imposition. More than three hours after the vote, the president promised to lift martial law. Soon after this, the decision to cancel was formalized at a government meeting. The command created to ensure the martial law regime was dissolved, and the military convened to parliament was also recalled.
⠀
The South Korean opposition said it would bring charges of coup against the president, Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, Minister of Internal Affairs and Security Lee Sang-min, as well as other key participants in the events from among the military and police. In addition, opposition parties have submitted projects of impeachment of the president and the minister of defense to parliament; voting on them is expected on December 6-7. To remove the president from office, 200 of the 300 votes in parliament will be required, and therefore the opposition will need the support of at least 18 deputies of the ruling party.
