In South Korea, the Constitutional Court called to seal the fate of ousted President Yoon as quickly as possible

Lee Jae-myung, head of the Democratic Party, South Korea’s main opposition party, speaks during a press conference on the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. LEE JIN-MAN / AP The leader of the South Korean opposition called on the Constitutional Court on Sunday, December 15, to quickly seal the fate of ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol, so that the country can recover of the “national unrest” and the “absurd situation” created by the surprise imposition of martial law on December 3. Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers South Korea: President Yoon Suk Yeol dismissed by the National Assembly Read later The Constitutional Court has six months to validate the dismissal of Mr. Yoon, voted on Saturday by Parliament. If so, a presidential election will be held within two months. “The Constitutional Court must quickly deal with the procedure for impeaching the president,” Lee Jae-myung, president of the Democratic Party, the main opposition force, said on Sunday. “This is the only way to limit the national unrest and alleviate the suffering of the population,” he added. The president of the Constitutional Court, Moon Hyung-bae, promised on Saturday evening “a rapid and fair procedure”. He summoned the other judges for a first meeting on this case Monday morning. According to most experts, there is little doubt about the outcome as the violations of the Constitution and the law accused of Mr. Yoon are blatant. Call from Joe Biden The opposition leader also demanded a thorough investigation into the events of the night of December 3 to 4, when Mr. Yoon announced, to everyone’s surprise, the imposition of martial law and sent the army in Parliament to try to muzzle him, before backing down under pressure from MPs and demonstrators. “To hold those responsible for this absurd situation accountable and to prevent it from happening again, it is essential to uncover the truth and demand accountability,” said Lee Jae-myung, who lost the presidential election narrowly against Mr. Yoon in 2022, and who is now the favorite to soon occupy his seat. Yoon Suk Yeol is the subject of a criminal investigation for “rebellion”, a crime theoretically punishable by death, and is not allowed to leave the country. His former defense minister and several senior officials were arrested. The interim presidency is held by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who spoke on Saturday evening with US President Joe Biden. Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers The South Korean president, or the drift of a former prosecutor towards authoritarianism Read later “President Biden expressed his satisfaction in view of the resilience of democracy and the rule of law in Republic of Korea,” the White House reported in a statement. “The two leaders discussed the considerable progress made in recent years in strengthening the alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea, and President Biden expressed confidence that the alliance will remain the pillar of peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region during the term of Acting President Han,” it is detailed. Le Monde Mémorable Test your general knowledge with the editorial staff of “Le Monde” Test your general knowledge with the editorial staff of “Le Monde” Discover Mr. Yoon’s coup surprised the United States, South Korea’s main ally. White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the US government learned of the news on television. According to him, these unexpected events have caused “deep concern” in Washington. During his two and a half years at the head of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol visited the United States five times and worked to strengthen the alliance with Washington, crucial in the face of the military threat of North Korea. About 28,500 American troops are stationed in South Korea. Le Monde with AFP Reuse this content



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