Page 3 - Martial Law

South Korea's Yoon willing to represent himself in legal proceedings

Yoon, who is an ex-prosecutor, shocked the nation on Dec. 3 when he declared martial law in a late night televised address

South Korea's acting leader to veto Oppn-sponsored bills, deepen strife

South Korea's acting leader said Thursday he would veto a spate of contentious bills sponsored by the main opposition party, deepening political strife in the wake of parliament's impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. The ruling and opposition parties have been bickering over how much authority Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the country's No. 2 official, has assumed since the opposition-controlled National Assembly last Saturday voted to suspend Yoon's presidential powers over his short-lived December 3 martial law. The Constitutional Court is to determine whether to formally dismiss the conservative Yoon as president or reinstate him. Law enforcement authorities are also separately investigating whether Yoon's martial law enforcement amounted to rebellion. Yoon's defence minister, police chief and several other military commanders have already been arrested over the case. The main liberal opposition Democratic Party earlier considered impeaching Han as well for failing to stop Yoo

South Korea's 'hurry hurry' culture ends Prez Yoon's 'controversial' tenure

Within hours of Yoon's late night announcement on Dec. 3, protesters massed on Seoul's streets and lawmakers were so frantic to block the decree that they climbed over the fence of the legislature

South Korean court sees strife as it is to decide fate of impeached Prez

South Korea's acting leader vowed Tuesday to convey to the world that things are back to normal following parliament's impeachment of conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol, but rival parties began squabbling over the mechanics of a court ruling to determine whether to formally unseat or reinstate him. The country's liberal opposition-controlled parliament voted to impeach Yoon last Saturday over his short-lived December 3 martial law imposition, suspending his presidential powers until the Constitutional Court determines whether to uphold or overturn the decision. If Yoon is dismissed, a national election must be held to pick his successor within two months. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who became acting leader, has taken steps to reassure the US and other countries and stabilise markets. Presiding over a Cabinet Council meeting on Tuesday, Han said he will continuously do my utmost to inform the international society that Republic of Korea is fast regaining stability and maintain ...

South Korean investigators ask for impeached prez as matter lands in court

South Korean law enforcement authorities will request that impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol appear for questioning this week over his short-lived martial law decree as they expand a probe into whether his ill-conceived power grab amounted to rebellion. A joint investigative team involving police, an anti-corruption agency and the Defense Ministry plans to convey a request to Yoon's office that he appears for questioning on Wednesday, the police said Monday. Yoon was impeached by the opposition-controlled National Assembly on Saturday over his Dec. 3 martial law decree. His presidential powers will be suspended until the Constitutional Court decides whether to formally remove him from office or reinstate him. If Yoon is dismissed, an election to choose his successor must be held within 60 days. Yoon has justified his martial law enforcement as a necessary act of governance against an opposition he described as anti-state forces bogging down his agendas and vowed to fight to the end

South Korean leaders seek calm after President Yoon Suk Yeol impeached

South Korea's opposition leader offered Sunday to work with the government to ease the political tumult as officials sought to reassure allies and markets, a day after the opposition-controlled parliament voted to impeach conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol over a short-lived attempt to impose martial law. Liberal Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, whose party holds a majority in the National Assembly, urged the Constitutional Court to rule swiftly on Yoon's impeachment and proposed a special council for cooperation between the government and parliament. Yoon's powers have been suspended until the court decides whether to remove him from office or reinstate him. If Yoon is dismissed, a national election to choose his successor must be held within 60 days. Lee, who has led a fierce political offensive against Yoon's embattled government, is seen as the frontrunner to replace him. He told a televised news conference that a swift court ruling would be the only way to minimize ...

S Korea's Oppn chief urges top court to act swiftly on Yoon's impeachment

South Korea's opposition leader on Sunday urged the Constitutional Court to rule swiftly on a bid to remove President Yoon Suk Yeol from office, a day after parliament voted to impeach him over a short-lived attempt to impose martial law. Yoon's powers will be suspended until the court rules on the case, either removing Yoon from office or restoring his powers. The court has up to 180 to decide, and if he's dismissed, a national election to choose his successor must be held within 60 days. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the country's No. 2 official, took over presidential powers later Saturday. Han was appointed by Yoon, whose government has struggled to pass legislation in the opposition-controlled parliament. Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the opposition Democratic Party, told reporters Sunday that a swift ruling is the only way to minimize national chaos. Lee also proposed the creation of a national council where the government and the National Assembly would work together to stabil

South Korea's Yoon defiant after impeachment over martial law bid

The Constitutional Court will decide whether to remove Yoon sometime in the next six months. If he is removed from office, a snap election will be called

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol impeached after failed martial law bid

Yoon is now suspended from office pending a decision by South Korea's Constitutional Court, which has up to 180 days to rule on his removal or reinstatement

S Korean parliament to vote on impeachment motion against President Yoon

South Korean lawmakers are set to vote on an opposition-led impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday, two days after Yoon defended his controversial martial law decree and vowed to resist mounting calls for his ouster. It'll be the second time for the National Assembly to hold a vote on Yoon's impeachment motion over his short-lived December 3 martial law introduction. Last Saturday, Yoon survived an impeachment vote after most ruling party lawmakers boycotted a floor vote. It's not clear if those People Power Party lawmakers would do the same again. Public protests against Yoon have since intensified and his approval rating has plummeted. The country's six opposition parties control the 300-member unicameral parliament with a combined 192 seats, but they are eight seats shy of the two-thirds majority needed to pass Yoon's impeachment motion. Tens of thousands of people poured onto the streets of capital Seoul in the past two weeks, calling for Yoon to be rem

S Korean Oppn submits new motion to impeach President Yoon over martial law

South Korea's parliament says the country's six opposition parties have submitted a new joint motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his declaration of martial law. The National Assembly said the main opposition Democratic Party and five smaller opposition parties submitted the impeachment motion on Thursday afternoon. The parties say they aim put the motion to a floor vote on Saturday. Yoon's short-lived Dec. 3 martial law declaration has triggered political chaos and large protests calling for his ouster. The Democratic Party has argued that Yoon's decree amounted to rebellion. Earlier Thursday, Yoon defended his decree as an act of governance and denied rebellion charges.

South Korea's Prez Yoon defends martial law, vows to 'fight to the end'

South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol defended his martial law decree as an act of governance and denied rebellion charges, vowing Thursday to fight to the end in the face of attempts to impeach him and intensifying investigations into last week's dramatic move. He spoke hours before the main opposition Democratic Party submits a new impeachment motion against him for a floor vote this weekend. Parliament on Thursday afternoon passed motions to impeach national police chief Cho Ji Ho and Justice Minister Park Sung Jae, suspending them from official duties, over their enforcement of martial law. Yoon's Dec 3 martial law declaration has generated political chaos and large protests calling for his ouster. The decree brought hundreds of armed troops attempting to encircle parliament and raid the election commission, though no major violence or injuries occurred. Martial law lasted only six hours as Yoon was forced to lift it after the National Assembly unanimously voted it down. Yoon, a

Martial law was act of governance, denies charges, says South Korean prez

South Korea's president defended his martial law decree as an act of governance and denied rebellion charges in a statement Thursday suggesting he has no intention of resigning and rejecting the impeachment attempts and investigations into last week's move. Yoon Suk Yeol's televised statement Thursday came hours before the main liberal opposition Democratic Party submits a new impeachment motion against Yoon. The opposition party plans to put the motion on a floor vote this Saturday. Its earlier attempt to impeach Yoon fell through last Saturday, with ruling party lawmakers boycotting a vote at the National Assembly. Yoon's December 3 martial law decree has generated political chaos and protests calling for his ouster. I will fight to the end, to prevent the forces and criminal groups that have been responsible for paralysing the country's government and disrupting the nation's constitutional order from threatening the future of the Republic of Korea, Yoon said. Yoon said his mart

Ex-South Korean defence minister attempts suicide amid martial law scandal

Kim Yong-Hyun, the former defence minister of South Korea, accused of advising President Yoon to impose martial law, attempted suicide before his arrest. He now faces rebellion charges

South Korea's top 2 police chiefs detained over enforcement of martial law

South Korea's two highest police officers have been detained to be investigated for their roles in enforcing President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law decree last week, police said Wednesday. The development comes hours before the main liberal opposition Democratic Party submits a new motion to impeach Yoon as the country's main law enforcement institutions expand their investigation into whether the president's declaration amounted to rebellion. The first impeachment attempt failed last Saturday when the ruling party boycotted the vote. The Democratic Party said it aims to put the new motion to a vote on Saturday. Yoon's ill-conceived power grab has paralyzed South Korean politics, frozen its foreign policy, and rattled financial markets, greatly reducing his chances of completing his five-year term and casting a turbulent shadow over one of Asia's most robust democracies. After last week's impeachment motion fell through, the leader of Yoon's conservative party pledged to

Yoon still controls military, says South Korea as leadership crisis deepens

While Yoon survived an impeachment vote in parliament on Saturday, his party's decision to delegate presidential authority to the prime minister has plunged the nation into a constitutional crisis

South Korean President Yoon banned from foreign travel amid martial law row

On 5 December, President Yoon had dismissed Defence Minister Hyun and replaced him with Choi Byung Hyuk. The decision came after the main opposition party moved to impeach both

More turmoil in South Korea as prosecutor set to probe Prez Yoon: Report

"The president will not be involved in any state affairs including diplomacy before his exit," Han Dong-hoon

South Korean prosecutors detain ex-defence chief over imposing martial law

South Korean prosecutors on Sunday detained a former defence minister who allegedly recommended last week's brief but stunning martial law imposition to President Yoon Suk Yeol, making him the first figure detained over the case, news reports said. The reported development came a day after Yoon avoided an opposition-led bid to impeach him in parliament, with most ruling party lawmakers boycotting a floor vote to prevent the two-thirds majority needed to suspend his presidential powers. The main liberal opposition Democratic Party said it will prepare a new impeachment motion against Yoon. On Sunday, ex-Defence Minister Kim Yong Hyun voluntarily appeared at a Seoul prosecutors' office, where he had his mobile phone confiscated and was detained, Yonhap news agency reported. Other South Korean media carried similar reports, saying Kim was moved to a Seoul detention centre. The reports said police were searching Kim's former office and residence on Sunday. Repeated calls to the Seoul

South Korean Prez Yoon's impeachment fails as ruling party boycotts vote

A South Korean legislative push to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived imposition of martial law fell through on Saturday after most lawmakers from his conservative governing party boycotted the vote. The defeat of the motion is expected to intensify public protests calling for Yoon's ouster and deepen political chaos in South Korea, with a survey suggesting a majority of South Koreans support the president's impeachment. Yoon's martial law declaration drew criticism from his own ruling conservative party, but it is also determined to oppose Yoon's impeachment apparently because it fears losing the presidency to liberals. Impeaching Yoon required support from two-thirds of the National Assembly, or 200 of its 300 members. The opposition parties who brought the impeachment motion had 192 seats, but only three lawmakers from PPP participated in the vote. The motion was scrapped without ballot counting because the number of votes didn't reach 200. National Assembly ..