A second impeachment motion against South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol was introduced in the National Assembly on Friday, signaling further political instability in the country. The motion is set to be voted upon in the upcoming plenary session. President Yoon has previously faced an impeachment motion, with the earlier proposal raising questions over the temporary declaration of martial law. However, he successfully defeated the opposition in the Sunday vote.
According to The Korea Times, the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has ensured that the motion will be put to vote at 5:00 PM in the upcoming plenary session. Under the law, an impeachment motion must be presented for a vote within 24 to 72 hours after being reported in the plenary session. The opposition has strategized its plan based on this timeline.
This new impeachment motion accuses President Yoon of attempting to have lawmakers arrested by soldiers and police during the martial law period under his leadership. However, some of the earlier allegations, such as the suspected involvement of First Lady Kim Keon-hee in a stock manipulation scheme and accusations of interference in election nominations, have been excluded this time.
To further emphasize this issue, the opposition plans to question cabinet members. These include Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho, Education Minister Lee Ju-ho, and Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yong. The opposition has requested their presence during the National Assembly session to discuss the President’s past public addresses, which were centered on defending the declaration of martial law and denying it constituted an act of rebellion.
Political analysts believe that this motion presents another challenge to South Korea’s political stability. If passed, it could have serious consequences for President Yoon and steer the nation’s politics in a new direction.
