In South Korea, the leader of the ruling party announces his resignation after the suspension of the president

Han Dong-hoon, head of the People Power Party, speaks during a press conference regarding the impeachment vote of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at the National Assembly in Seoul, December 12, 2024. STR / AFP The leader of the ruling party in South Korea announced his resignation on Monday, December 16, two days after the adoption in Parliament of an impeachment motion against ousted President Yoon Suk Yeol, sanctioned for its short-lived martial law. Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers South Korea: President Yoon Suk Yeol dismissed by the National Assembly Read later “I am leaving my post as head of the People’s Power Party [PPP] Han Dong-hoon said in a televised news conference, adding that he offered his “sincere apologies to all those who suffered due to martial law.” The deputies adopted on Saturday evening a motion for dismissal against Mr. Yoon, now suspended, sanctioning his brief martial law on the night of December 3 to 4. The former star prosecutor stunned the country by declaring this state of exception by surprise and sending the army to Parliament in order to muzzle him, before having to backpedal barely six hours later under pressure from the National Assembly and demonstrators. Constitutional Court launches review of impeachment The South Korean Constitutional Court also began a first meeting on Monday to discuss the timetable for the impeachment procedure of Yoon Suk Yeol. “The first meeting of deliberations concerning the motion for impeachment [de Yoon Suk Yeol] started at 10 a.m. [2 heures, heure de Paris] », Indicated a spokesperson for the Court to Agence France-Presse. The Constitutional Court has approximately six months to rule on the validity of this impeachment motion. If confirmed, Mr. Yoon will be deposed and a presidential election must be held within two months. The winner will be invested the day after the result, without the usual transition period. During this period of up to eight months, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will act as interim minister. In his first words as temporary leader, he pledged to do everything possible to guarantee “stable governance”. The President of the Court, Moon Hyung-bae, promised shortly after the vote a “speedy and fair procedure”. 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. The Constitutional Court normally has nine judges but three retired in October without being replaced, due to the political deadlock in the country. Six votes being required to ratify an impeachment, a unanimous judgment will be necessary to dismiss Yoon Suk Yeol. Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers The South Korean president, or the drift of a former prosecutor towards authoritarianism Read later The leader of the opposition, Lee Jae-myung, estimated on Sunday that a rapid decision was “the only way of limiting the national unrest and alleviating the suffering of the population.” A political star entangled in affairs that could cost him his eligibility, Mr. Lee is a favorite among analysts in the event of a new election. In 2022, he lost to Mr. Yoon by the narrowest margin in South Korean history. 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 Lee Jae-myung was found guilty in November of violating electoral laws but the verdict was suspended. If convicted, he would no longer be able to appear. If, however, he were elected before the decision, the prosecutions would be interrupted, due to presidential immunity. Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers In South Korea, young women, spearheading the mobilization against the president Read later Investigation for “rebellion” Yoon Suk Yeol is under criminal investigation for “rebellion”, a crime theoretically punishable by death, and no longer has the right to leave the country. The unpopular deposed leader, 63, “refused” to appear in court on Sunday, with prosecutors announcing they would summon him a second time. If his dismissal was confirmed, he would become the second South Korean president officially removed from office, after Park Geun-hye in 2017. For Ms. Park, accused of corruption, the Court had ratified the decision of Parliament ninety-two days after his vote. There is, however, a reverse precedent. In March 2004, MPs also passed an impeachment motion against Roh Moo-hyun, but it was invalidated two months later by the Constitutional Court. North Korea, which has been trickling its reactions since the start of the unrest in its neighbor, on Monday described Yoon Suk Yeol as “leader of the rebellion”, according to the official KCNA agency. As usual, Mr. Yoon was also called a “puppet” by the North Korean state media, which considers him to be under the thumb of the United States. Le Monde with AFP Reuse this content



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