His camp demands accountability, the opposition wants to dismiss him, and the country's largest union has called for an “unlimited general strike” until his departure.
“Resignation”, “accounts to be given”: the South Korean president has his back against the wall, this Wednesday, December 4, by the opposition as well as by his own party. Yoon Suk Yeol, whose popularity rating was already extremely low, declared martial law on Tuesday during a surprise speech, accusing the opposition of constituting “forces hostile to the state”. It was in particular a conflict over the adoption of its budget in Parliament, where the presidential camp is in the minority, which ignited the powder.
When martial law was announced, army helicopters landed on the roof of parliament but MPs were able to meet in haste to pass a resolution demanding the repeal of the measure. Hundreds of demonstrators also gathered in front of parliament to demand the withdrawal of the text and Yoon's resignation. The imposition of martial law, a first in more than 40 years in the country, involved the suspension of political life as well as the closure of parliament and the placing under control of the media. This announcement generated concern and disapproval around the world, particularly from the United States, Seoul's main ally against North Korea, and from China.
The president must explain this tragic situation immediately and in detail. »
Han Dong-hoon, head of the People's Power Party
In South Korea, the main opposition party demanded the “resignation” of Yoon and threatened to initiate impeachment proceedings against him if he did not hand it over “immediately”. “We are going to file a complaint for rebellion” against Yoon, his ministers of Defense and Interior and “key figures in the military and police, such as the martial law commander (general of the army, Editor’s note) and the chief of police, the Democratic Party said in a statement.
His own camp, the People Power Party, has stressed that its leader will be held accountable. “The president must explain this tragic situation immediately and in detail,” the head of his party, Han Dong-hoon, declared on television, stressing that “all those responsible will have to be held accountable”. The president's chief of staff and key aides have in the morning “presented their resignation en masse”according to the national Yonhap agency.
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the largest inter-union organization in the country with some 1.2 million members, called for a “unlimited general strike” until Yoon resigned, believing that he had “signed his own end to power”.
“Yoon has gone crazy”
In the wake of the declaration of martial law, Parliament met as special forces soldiers attempted to enter the session hall. In front of the building, sealed overnight, demonstrators proclaimed: “Stop Yoon Suk Yeol!”noted AFP journalists. “Why did we have to come here after working all day, in the middle of the week?”shouted a demonstrator. “It’s because of this insane martial law decreed by Yoon, who has gone crazy”cried another protester, cheered by hundreds of people.
Yoon finally decided to announce on television the lifting of martial law and the withdrawal of troops deployed in the capital, sparking cries of joy from the demonstrators. At the request of the National Assembly, “we withdrew the soldiers who had been deployed for martial law operations”Yoon said at 4:30 a.m. local time (8:30 p.m. in Paris Tuesday). The army had indicated that it would only obey the president's orders.
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