South Korean President Apologizes, Saying He'll Take Responsibility For Attempt At Martial Law | rssama.com

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s embattled president apologized Saturday for nationalist worry caused by his short-lived effort to enforce martial law hours up of a parliamentary ballot connected impeaching him.

President Yoon Suk Yeol said successful a little televised reside Saturday greeting he won’t shirk ineligible aliases governmental work for the declaration and promised not to make different effort to enforce it. He said he would time off it to his statement to floor plan a people done nan country’s governmental turmoil, “including matters related to my word successful office.”

“The declaration of his martial rule was made retired of my desperation. But successful nan people of its implementation, it caused worry and inconveniences to nan public. I consciousness very sorry complete that and genuinely apologize to nan group who must person been shocked a lot,” Yoon said.

Since taking agency successful 2022, Yoon, a conservative, has struggled to push his schedule done an opposition-controlled parliament and grappled pinch debased support ratings amid scandals involving himself and his wife. In his martial rule announcement connected Tuesday night, Yoon called parliament a “den of criminals” bogging down authorities affairs and vowed to destruct “shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces.”

A National Assembly ballot connected an opposition-led mobility to impeach Yoon is group for Saturday afternoon, but it wasn’t instantly clear whether nan mobility would get nan two-thirds needed to pass. The guidance parties that jointly brought nan impeachment mobility power 192 of nan legislature’s 300 seats, meaning they request astatine slightest 8 further votes from Yoon’s blimpish People Power Party.

That appeared much apt aft nan leader of Yoon’s statement called for his removal connected Friday, but nan statement remained formally opposed to impeachment.

If Yoon is impeached, his powers will beryllium suspended until nan Constitutional Court decides whether to region him from office. If he is removed, an predetermination to switch him must return spot wrong 60 days.

The turmoil resulting from Yoon’s bizarre and poorly-thought-out stunt has paralyzed South Korean authorities and sparked siren among cardinal negotiated partners, including neighboring Japan and Seoul’s apical state nan United States, arsenic 1 of nan strongest democracies successful Asia faces a governmental situation that could unseat its leader.

Tuesday nighttime saw typical forces troops encircling nan parliament building and service helicopters hovering complete it, but nan subject withdrew aft nan National Assembly unanimously voted to overturn nan decree, forcing Yoon to assistance it earlier daybreak Wednesday. The declaration of martial law was nan first of its benignant successful much than 40 years successful South Korea.

Since then, thousands of group person protested successful nan streets of Seoul, waving banners, shouting slogans and dancing and singing on to K-pop songs pinch lyrics changed to telephone for Yoon’s ouster. Smaller groups of Yoon’s supporters rallied adjacent nan National Assembly Friday, holding signs that publication “We reason unconstitutional impeachment.”

Thousands of citizens stitchery crossed from nan National Assembly to request nan impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol successful Seoul, South Korea, connected December 6, 2024. South Korea plunges into terrible governmental turmoil aft President Yoon declares emergency martial law, accusing nan guidance Democratic Party and different parties of destabilizing governance and siding pinch North Korea. Although nan emergency martial rule is rescinded pursuing nan unanimous transition of a solution to revoke it by 190 lawmakers, nan move sparks wide criticism, calls for President Yoon's resignation and impeachment, and heightens concerns astir its implications for democracy. (Photo by Chris Jung/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

NurPhoto via Getty Images

Opposition lawmakers opportunity that Yoon’s effort astatine martial rule amounted to a self-coup and drafted nan impeachment mobility astir rebellion charges.

Lee Jae-myung, nan leader of nan main wide guidance Democratic Party, told reporters that Yoon’s reside was “greatly disappointing” and that nan only measurement guardant is his contiguous resignation aliases impeachment.

Parliament said Saturday that it would meet astatine 5 p.m. It will first ballot connected a measure appointing a typical charismatic to analyse power peddling allegations surrounding Yoon’s wife, and past connected impeaching Yoon.

It’s not clear if members of Yoon’s PPP will break ranks to ballot for impeachment. Eighteen lawmakers from a number faction of nan statement joined nan unanimous ballot to cancel martial law, which passed 190-0. However, nan statement has decided to reason nan impeachment.

Experts opportunity nan PPP fears Yoon’s impeachment and imaginable removal from agency would time off nan conservatives successful disarray and easy losing a statesmanlike by-election to liberals.

On Friday, PPP leader Han Dong-hun, who besides heads nan number faction that helped cancel martial law, called for suspending Yoon’s law powers, describing him arsenic unfit to clasp nan agency and tin of taking much utmost actions. But Han is not a lawmaker and nan party’s position remains anti-impeachment.

Han said he had received intelligence that during nan little play of martial rule Yoon ordered nan country’s defense counterintelligence commandant to apprehension and detain unspecified cardinal politicians based connected accusations of “anti-state activities.”

Following Yoon’s televised address, Han reiterated his telephone for him to measurement down, saying that nan president wasn’t successful a authorities wherever he could usually transportation retired charismatic duties. “President Yoon Suk Yeol’s early resignation is inevitable,” Han told reporters.

Hong Jang-won, first lawman head of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, later told lawmakers successful a closed-door briefing that Yoon called aft imposing martial rule and ordered him to thief nan defense counterintelligence portion to detain cardinal politicians. The targeted politicians included Han, Lee and National Assembly speaker Woo Won Shik, according to Kim Byung-kee, 1 of nan lawmakers who attended nan meeting.

The Defense Ministry said it had suspended nan defense counterintelligence commander, Yeo In-hyung, who Han alleged had received orders from Yoon to detain nan politicians. The ministry besides suspended nan commanders of nan superior defense bid and nan typical warfare bid complete their engagement successful enforcing martial law.

Former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, who has been accused of recommending Yoon to enforce martial law, has been placed nether a recreation prohibition and faces an investigation by prosecutors complete rebellion charges.

Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon Ho has testified to parliament that it was Kim Yong Hyun who ordered troops to beryllium deployed to nan National Assembly aft Yoon imposed martial law.

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South KoreaYoon Suk YeolPeople Power Party