President Yoon Suk Yeol loses support from his own party

A protester holds a poster with an image of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol during a rally calling for the head of state to be removed, in Seoul, December 5, 2024. ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP There is nothing left much to take from South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol for clinging to power, following his abrupt failed attempt to impose martial law in the country. While Parliament must vote on the dismissal of the head of state, the leader of his own party has withdrawn his support. “If President Yoon continues to serve as president, there is a significant risk that extreme actions similar to the declaration of martial law will be repeated, which could put the Republic of Korea [nom officiel de la Corée du Sud] and its citizens in great danger, declared Friday, December 6, Han Dong-hoon, leader of the People’s Power Party (PPP). In light of new evidence, I believe that a rapid suspension of President Yoon Suk Yeol is necessary in order to safeguard the Republic of Korea and its people. » Yoon Suk Yeol unexpectedly proclaimed martial law late Tuesday and deployed the army to Seoul. He explained that he had declared this state of exception to protect “liberal South Korea from the threats of North Korean communist forces and to eliminate elements hostile to the State”, in a context of standoff over the adoption of the 2025 budget. Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers In South Korea, the president’s coup attempt failed Read later He was forced to backpedal six hours later after a vote in Parliament unanimously calling for the lifting of martial law, and under pressure from the street. Yoon Suk Yeol had ordered the arrest of political leaders In his speech in the form of an indictment, Mr. Han mentioned, on Friday, “credible evidence” that the president had ordered the arrest of prominent political leaders on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday. “President Yoon Suk Yeol asked the head of the counterintelligence command (…) to arrest important politicians, calling them anti-state forces, and he mobilized intelligence agencies” to do so, a- he asserted. Read also | Article reserved for our subscribers In South Korea, the fate of the president hangs on eight votes Read later If Mr. Yoon does not resign by then, the vote in Parliament on the impeachment of the president is scheduled for Saturday, December 7 at 7 p.m. local time (11 a.m. Paris time), according to the national agency Yonhap. On Thursday, Han Dong-hoon had affirmed that the presidential party would stand against the motion, but this change of discourse seems to guarantee its success, while the opposition, the majority in Parliament, only needs to rally eight elected officials from the PPP. Read also | South Korea: after the coup of President Yoon Suk Yeol, the Parliament of South Korea examines his dismissal Read later If the Parliament approves, by two thirds – or 200 votes out of 300 members –, the dismissal of Mr. Yoon , the latter will be suspended, pending the Constitutional Court validating his dismissal. A new presidential election must then be organized within sixty days. Yoon Suk Yeol’s approval rating has reached a low of 13 percent, according to a Gallup poll released Friday. Targeted by an investigation for rebellion The president has not been seen in public since his announcement of the lifting of martial law in the early hours of Wednesday. He is the subject of an investigation for “rebellion,” police said Thursday. “This is an unforgivable crime, which cannot, must not and will not be forgiven,” thundered Kim Seung-won, deputy of the Democratic Party, the main component of the opposition. 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 This crime is theoretically punishable by the death penalty, which has however no longer been applied in South Korea since 1997 Demonstrations by thousands of South Koreans in front of places of power have increased since Wednesday to demand the departure of Mr. Yoon. On Thursday, his cabinet announced the resignation of Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun. But other key officials in his government are hanging on, including Interior Minister Lee Sang-min. The opposition is also targeting other key allies of Mr. Yoon, including the short-lived martial law commander Park An-su, the army chief of staff. Read also | South Korea: after the president’s coup and demonstrations, the defense minister resigns Read later Le Monde with AFP Reuse this content



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