President Yoon Suk Yeol apologizes but not resigns

Television screens show the live speech of the President of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, in a store in Seoul, December 7, 2024. JUNG YEON-JE / AFP Invisible since his coup to try to impose, Tuesday, December 3, martial law in the country, the South Korean president, Yoon Suk Yeol, finally appeared on television screens, Saturday, December 7, to present his “sincere apologies”. But he has not submitted his resignation, which many are calling for, including in the ranks of his own political party, the People’s Power Party (PPP). Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers In South Korea, the president’s coup attempt foiled Read later A few hours before a parliamentary vote on his dismissal, Mr. Yoon announced, in a brief televised speech, that he will entrust the PPP with taking “measures aimed at stabilizing the political situation, including concerning my mandate”. “I will not shy away from my legal and political responsibilities regarding the declaration of martial law,” he said. The leader of the PPP, Han Dong-hoon, immediately affirmed that “an early resignation of the president is inevitable”, the normal exercise of his functions being according to him “impossible under these circumstances”. But the PPP is divided on the issue. At the end of a meeting overnight from Friday to Saturday, a majority of party deputies stuck to the official line according to which they will block the impeachment, against the advice of their leader, Mr. Han. Abandoned by his own party Yoon Suk Yeol, 63, was criticized from all sides after having, to everyone’s surprise, decreed martial law on Tuesday evening, before being forced to reverse course six hours later under pressure from the deputies and the street. He is accused by the opposition of having undermined South Korean democracy and he was dropped on Friday by Mr. Han who judged that he constituted a “danger” for the country. It is expected that, without Mr. Yoon’s resignation, the unicameral Parliament will meet on Saturday at 5 p.m. local time (9 a.m. Paris time) to decide on his dismissal. A majority of 200 deputies out of 300 is necessary to dismiss him. The PPP has 108 seats in Parliament, compared to 192 for the opposition, which must therefore rally to its cause only eight deputies from the president’s party to restore it on Saturday. If the motion is approved, Mr. Yoon will be suspended pending validation of his dismissal by the Constitutional Court. If this confirmation occurs, a presidential election will take place within sixty days. The interim will then be ensured by the Prime Minister, Han Duck-soo. On Friday evening, around 15,000 demonstrators gathered in front of Parliament to demand Mr. Yoon’s departure and his arrest, according to Agence France-Presse journalists on site. Some stayed all night. New protests are planned for Saturday afternoon in front of Parliament and in central Seoul. Read also | In South Korea, President Yoon Suk Yeol abandoned by his own party, the opposition is camped in Parliament Read later Fearing a new coup by the president, who had disappeared from public space since Wednesday at dawn, opposition deputies camped all night inside the National Assembly. Buses and other vehicles were parked in front of Parliament to prevent possible special forces helicopters from landing there, as they did during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday. Le Monde Memorable Test your general knowledge with the editorial staff of “Le Monde” Test your general knowledge with the editorial staff of “Le Monde” Discover But during his speech on Saturday, Mr. Yoon promised that he would not pronounce the law a second time martial. “I apologize for causing fear to the people,” the president concluded before bowing. A popularity rating at its lowest Yoon Suk Yeol, who has suffered a series of crises since coming to power in 2022, is now the target of an investigation for “rebellion” and his popularity rating has plunged to 13%, according to a Gallup poll published Friday. In his televised speech announcing martial law on Tuesday evening, he justified this measure by the need to protect “liberal South Korea from the threats of North Korean communist forces and to eliminate elements hostile to the State”. He had accused the opposition-controlled Parliament of blocking “all budgets essential to the primary functions of the nation”. Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers In South Korea, the fate of the president hung on eight votes Read later Despite the closure of Parliament by the army and the police, 190 deputies managed to enter, and unanimously voted for a motion against martial law, while their aides barricaded the doors. Thousands of demonstrators gathered around the building, located in central Seoul. Parliamentarians finally repealed martial law at dawn on Wednesday and sent the army back to its barracks. Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers In South Korea, demonstrators are calling for the arrest of their president, Yoon Suk Yeol Read later South Korea’s main allies, the United States has not publicly called for Mr. Yoon’s departure . US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his South Korean counterpart Cho Tae-yul on Friday that he “expected the democratic process to prevail”. Le Monde with AFP Reuse this content



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