South Korea's National Assembly's main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) failed in its effort to impeach conservative President Yoon Suk-Yeol on Saturday, but Yoon's People Power Party (PPP) reportedly said he has agreed to an early departure from office.
Yoon on Tuesday had declared martial law to root out what he called "anti-state forces."
Yoon lifted the declaration about six hours later after parliament voted to oppose the decree, only after meeting with his state council (cabinet) as required by law. Likewise he met with the state council before imposing martial law.
Prime Minister Han Dong-Hoon, who is the PPP chief, said the party and Yoon will work together to seek an orderly path for Yoon to leave office.
PPP members cut off the impeachment move by leaving before the vote took place - effectively boycotting it. The move meant that only 195 votes were cast, below the threshold of 200 needed for the vote to be valid.
In a joint statement after talks in Seoul, following Saturday’s unsuccessful motion to impeach Yoon, Han said that Yoon would not be involved in the country's internal and foreign affairs before he steps down.
"Through an orderly, early departure of the president, we will minimize the chaos for the Republic of (South) Korea and its people, stabilize the political situation, and restore liberal democracy," Han was quoted as saying.
He added: "Until the president's departure, the prime minister and the party will closely consult to seamlessly take care of livelihood issues and state affairs.”
Under South Korea’s constitution, the president can declare martial law during “wartime, war-like situations or other comparable national emergency states” that require the use of military force to maintain peace and order.
Critics had said the DPK has no constitutional grounds to stand on in the impeachment effort.
"Impeachment motions are intended to address clear violations of the Constitution or laws. However, the Democratic Party has expanded the scope to include foreign and security policies that are not unlawful," The Chosun Ilbo said in a Dec. 6 editorial.
The editorial continued:
"The content of the Democratic Party’s impeachment motion against President Yoon has also raised eyebrows. It includes criticisms of the administration’s foreign and security policies, such as claims that President Yoon has heightened tensions, increasing the risk of a potential war crisis, alienated North Korea, China, and Russia, and pursued what the motion describes as an 'unusual and Japan-centered foreign policy.'
"Observers question how such accusations could constitute grounds for impeachment, pointing out that North Korea’s provocations — not S. Korean government policy — are the primary source of regional tensions."
Critics also charge that the leader of the DPK, Lee Jae-Myung, is engaging in a U.S. Democrat Party-style lawfare campaign against the DPK's opponents. Lee has been under an investigative cloud for allegedly violating election law.
On Dec. 5, the DPK unilaterally passed impeachment motions against Choe Jae-Hae, Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI), as well as three senior prosecutors, including Lee Chang-Soo, the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office. It is the first impeachment of a BAI chairman in the country’s constitutional history.
Earlier, the National Assembly impeached prosecutors that had convicted Lee and are therefore "messing with the legal processes. They have cut the budgets and paralyzed the Executive Branch," said Tara O, Director of the East Asia Research Center.
The suspension of three key prosecutors is expected to hinder ongoing investigations into major cases, including allegations that cash-stuffed envelopes were distributed to members of the DPK ahead of a party leadership election in 2021 also known as the “money envelope scandal.”
The Chosun Ilbo noted: "Critics argue that such suspensions effectively paralyze the current administration’s ability to govern, shifting control to what some are calling a de facto 'Democratic Party-led government.' "
At a "Committee on the Present Danger" webinar by the Center for Security Policy, Tara O pointed out that National Assembly elections in the spring of 2024 and 2020, which resulted in a landslide victories for the leftist DPK, "generated public outrage over 'irregularities' about which the national media maintained silence."
The leaders of Yoon's main opposition party, Lee and former President Moon Jae-In of the DPK "are not centrist as portrayed by the media but are far-Left, pro-North Korea, pro-CCP and anti-U.S.," Tara O added in her presentation at the webinar on Dec. 6.
There is actually significant public support for martial law, Tara O suggested. Many believe the CCP is closely associated with the apparent elections fraud in 2020 and 2024, but the so-called "conservative media are silent on this issue because of their own ties to the CCP."
Jung Jae-Hak, a famous poet and author from Jeolla Province, released the following statement on Dec. 4:
Let’s go with the Martial Law led by the Korean Citizens! President Yoon Suk-yeol imposed Martial Law at 11 a.m. on December 3, 2024, and lifted it. I was able to read the president’s determination and anguish in between the lines of the imposition and lifting of Martial Law. The situation became so terrible that he had to impose Martial Law, with which I sympathize. We have seen the cumulative tyranny of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) that is disturbing the current state of affairs, and even impeaching the Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection, and finally blocking the budget.The following is Yoon's statement in declaring martial law:
We already assessed that the DPK’s tyranny would result in country facing a crisis in 2025. I believed that Martial Law must be imposed now. This is because the Republic of Korea has reached a point where it is difficult to manage the country. In particular, the Democratic Party (at the National Assembly), which is currently led by Lee Jae-myung, is not a legislative body, but only a group of militia to save Lee Jae-myung. In addition, the Democratic Party is a destructive group of red Jusapa [adherents of Juche Ideology/socialist revolution/Kim Il Sung] that disturbs the constitutional order of the Republic of Korea.
A political party that crushes the oil drilling cash cow by confiscating the budget cannot be seen as a group that exists for the sake of the Republic of Korea. The will of the people cannot be blocked by those who are mere private soldiers of Lee Jae-myung, and thus we must enter a state of Martial Law. Thus, anti-state groups must be destroyed. As the home of the Jusapa faction that disturbs the constitutional order, there are more than a hundred reasons to dismantle the Democratic Party. Therefore, today’s lifting of Martial Law does not mean that Martial Law is wrong or stopped. It is possible to reimpose the Martial Law with the citizens.
There is an urgent need for a national rally in favor of Martial Law, among the actions we need to do in the future. If this rally dominates the whole country, then Martial Law will be revived even stronger than it is today. Therefore, Martial Law must be re-imposed. In order to get the Republic of Korea back on track, it must be done despite sacrifices. If that is the way to defend free democracy, don’t be afraid of thorny paths.
Therefore, I think that trial and error is enough only once. The first condition of a hero is to have courage. Whether it’s President Yoon Suk-yeol or anyone else, if you’re a South Korean citizen looking at [the situation] today, now is the time to be courageous. I’m sure I’m not the only one who had a long night. But Martial Law was lifted, and the day dawned. So we have to shake off last night’s events and get back on our feet. This is because we have to move towards Martial Law that is imposed by the Korean citizens. From now on, it is the citizen-led Martial Law. Let’s gather!!
Respected citizens, as President, I appeal to you with an intensely heavy heart. So far, the National Assembly has initiated 22 impeachment proceedings against government officials since the inauguration of my administration, and is pursuing the impeachment of 10 government officials since the 22nd National Assembly, which began in June [2024].
This is not only unprecedented in any country in the world, but it is also unprecedented since the founding of our country. They are paralyzing judicial work by intimidating judges and impeaching a number of prosecutors, and they are also paralyzing the executive branch by attempting to impeach the Minister of Administration and Security, the Chairwoman of the Korea Communications Commission, the Chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection, and the Defense Minister. In handling of the state budget, they have also completely cut all major budgets for the essential functions of the state, the crackdown on drug crimes, and the maintenance of public safety, thereby undermining the essential functions of the state and turning the Republic of Korea into a drug paradise and a state of panic for the people’s livelihood.
The Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has cut 4.1 trillion won ($3 billion) from next fiscal year’s budget, including 1 trillion won ($740 million) in disaster relief reserves, 38.4 billion won ($28 million) in childcare allowances, jobs for young people, and deep-water gas field development projects. Even the measures to improve the pay for the military cadres, such as raising salaries and allowances for junior military officers [Commissioned and Non-commissioned], and increasing on-call duty allowances, has been put on the brakes. In a word, these kinds of outrageous acts with the budget are making a mockery of the national finances of the Republic of Korea. The DPK’s legislative dictatorship, which uses the budget only as a means of political battle, has not hesitated to weaponize the budget. The government is paralyzed, and the bemoaning of the people is increasing.
This is a clear anti-state act of plotting a civil war that tramples on the constitutional order of the free Republic of Korea and undermines the legitimate state institutions established by the Constitution and the law. They don’t care about the people’s lives and only focus on impeachment, special prosecutors, and bulletproofing the leader of the opposition party [DPK], and are paralyzing the government functions. Today, our National Assembly has become a den of criminals, paralyzing the country’s judicial and administrative system through legislative dictatorship, and attempting to overthrow the liberal democratic system.
The National Assembly, which should be the foundation of free democracy, has become a monster that will destroy the liberal democratic system. Right now, it would not be surprising even if the Republic of Korea collapsed immediately, as it faces the fate of a lamp in the wind. My dear citizens, I declare martial law in order to defend a free Republic of Korea from the threat of the Communist forces of North Korea, to eradicate all the unscrupulous anti-state, pro-North Korea forces who are plundering the freedom and happiness of our people, and to protect the constitutional order based on liberty.
Through this emergency martial law, I will rebuild and defend a free Republic of Korea, which is falling into the abyss of ruin. To this end, I will surely eradicate the anti-state forces that have been habitually committing wicked deeds. This is an inevitable measure to ensure the freedom and safety of the people and the sustainability of the country from the activities of anti-state forces aimed at overthrowing the system, and to pass on a proper country to future generations. I will eradicate the anti-state forces and bring the country back to normalcy as soon as possible
The declaration of Martial Law may cause some inconvenience to the good citizens who believed in and followed the values of the Constitution of the Free Republic of Korea, but we will do our best to minimize such inconveniences. Such measures are necessary for the permanence of a free Republic of Korea, and there is no change in the foreign policy stance of the Republic of Korea fulfilling its responsibilities and contributions to the international community. As President, I earnestly appeal to the citizens.
I will only believe in you, the people, and defend the free Republic of Korea with your faith.
Please trust me.
Thank you.
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