South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s surprising, short-lived move to issue a statement state of siegeRooting out ‘anti-state’ forces was a ‘blunder’ and possibly an attempt to ‘reassert itself’, says one expert.
Opposition parties moved on Wednesday to oust the president, which would require the support of two-thirds of the 300-seat parliament and at least six judges of the nine-member constitutional court. A motion for impeachment was filed by the liberal opposition Democratic Party and five smaller opposition parties and could be put to a vote as early as Friday.
“I think he was trying, even desperately, to reassert himself by telling his domestic enemies that he is the man in charge and that there will be consequences for the opposition parties’ attempts to suppress Yoon’s many reform programs said Sung-Yoon Lee, a police spokesman. global fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington DC, and author of “The Sister: North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong, the Most Dangerous Woman in the World,” told Fox News Digital.
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South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol waves as he arrives to address a joint meeting of Congress, Thursday, April 27, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
“But I think it was a blunder, possibly a legal violation, and certainly something that politically seems like a self-serving one,” he added, referring to the idea of something that someone does under the impression that it will benefit them will help, but will actually harm someone. .
The martial law declaration lasted just six hours but sent shockwaves through the country as it harked back to South Korea’s past supported by military personnel governments when authorities occasionally declared martial law and other decrees that allowed them to station soldiers, tanks and armored vehicles on the streets or in public places such as schools to prevent anti-government demonstrations.
People hold candles during a candlelight vigil against South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul, South Korea, after he declared martial law. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
The country achieved democracy in the late 1980s. No major violence was reported and martial law was lifted after lawmakers rejected the measure by a vote of 190 to 0.
In a speech announcing the declaration, Yoon vowed to eliminate anti-state forces while accusing the opposition of sympathizing with North Korea. The North, a totalitarian state, will use what happened in the South to its advantage, Lee said.
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People watch a TV screen showing South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s televised briefing at a bus station in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, December 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
“I’m sure the North Korean leaders are sharpening their knives right now,” he said. “It would be very atypical and unusual if North Korea just sat there and let this kind of sensational, breathtaking crisis in South Korea go to waste.”
Lee expects the North to make provocative statements, resort to hostile acts and blame Yoon for his own “belligerence” and argue that the backlash against him is a response to his hostility toward his northern neighbor.
If Yoon is ousted, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who holds the No. 2 position in the South Korean government, would take over presidential responsibilities. Currently, the Constitutional Court has only done that six judges after three retirements, meaning all six would have to vote in favor of impeachment to drive Yoon from office.
Four of the six judges were appointed by Yoon.
In this photo taken on May 9, 2023, South Korean soldiers walk through the Panmunjom ceasefire village in the Joint Security Area (JSA) of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea, overlooking the North Korean Panmon Hall in the background. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images)
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“It remains to be seen whether, when we get to that point, the Constitutional Court will actually approve and approve the impeachment and removal of President Yoon, but it is a possibility,” Lee said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
