South Korea’s ruling party chief backs suspension of presidential powers of Yoon

The comments by People Power Party (PPP) leader Han Dong-hun on Friday suggest that his party would change its earlier opposition to the impeachment of president Yoon over his imposition of martial law this week.

Opposition parties parties are pushing for a parliamentary vote on Mr Yoon’s impeachment on Saturday, calling his short-lived martial law declaration “unconstitutional, illegal rebellion or coup”.

But they need support from some ruling party members to get the two-thirds majority needed to pass the impeachment motion.

During a party meeting, People Power Party leader Han Dong-hun stressed the need to suspend Mr Yoon’s presidential duties and power swiftly, saying he poses a “significant risk of extreme actions, like reattempting to impose martial law, which could potentially put the Republic of Korea and its citizens in great danger”.

Mr Han said he had received intelligence that Mr Yoon had ordered the country’s defence counterintelligence commander to arrest and detain unspecified key politicians based on accusations of “anti-state activities” during martial law.

“It’s my judgment that an immediate suspension of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s official duties is necessary to protect the Republic of Korea and its people,” Mr Han said.

Mr Han on Thursday had said he would work to defeat the impeachment motion even though he criticised Mr Yoon’s martial law declaration as “unconstitutional”.

Mr Han said there was a need to “prevent damage to citizens and supporters caused by unprepared chaos”.

Impeaching Mr Yoon would require support from 200 of its 300 members. The opposition parties who jointly brought the impeachment motion have 192 seats combined. PPP has 108 lawmakers.

Mr Han was previously regarded as a close associate of Mr Yoon as they spent years working together as prosecutors and he served as Mr Yoon’s first justice minister.

But after Mr Han entered party politics and became PPP leader, their ties soured badly as they differ over how to handle scandals involving Mr Yoon and his wife.

Mr Han leads a minority faction within the ruling party, and 18 lawmakers in his faction voted with opposition lawmakers to overturn Mr Yoon’s martial law decree. Martial law ultimately lasted about six hours, after the quick overrule by the National Assembly forced Mr Yoon’s cabinet to lift it before daybreak on Wednesday.

If Mr Yoon is impeached, he would be suspended until the Constitutional Court rules on whether to remove him from office or restore his presidential power.

Prime minister Han Duck-soo, the country’s No 2 official, would take over presidential responsibilities.

The main liberal opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung said in a televised speech on Friday that it was crucial to suspend Mr Yoon as “quickly as possible”.

Mr Lee said Mr Yoon’s martial law enforcement amounted to “rebellion and also a self-coup”.

He said Mr Yoon’s move caused serious damage to the country’s image and paralysed foreign policy, pointing to criticism coming out of the Biden administration and foreign leaders cancelling their visits to South Korea.

Mr Yoon has made no immediate response to Mr Han’s comments. He has not made public appearances since he made a televised announcement that his martial law decree was lifted.

But his office said on Thursday that Mr Yoon accepted the resignation offer of defence minister Kim Yong Hyun, who opposition parties and Mr Han alleged recommended the martial law imposition to the president.

Prosecutor general Shim Woo Jung told reporters on Friday that the prosecution plans to investigate rebellion charges against Mr Yoon following complaints filed by the opposition, which claims his stunt amounted to a “self-coup”.

While the president mostly enjoys immunity from prosecution while in office, the protection does not extend to allegations of rebellion or treason.

It was not immediately clear how the prosecution plans to proceed with an investigation on Mr Yoon.

The prosecution on Thursday placed an overseas travel ban on Kim Yong Hyun.

Democratic Party spokesperson Jo Seoung-lae said on Friday the party is considering filing a legal complaint against People Power Party floor leader Choo Kyung-ho, whom they accuse of attempting to facilitate Mr Yoon’s martial law enforcement.