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President and acting president were impeached; Finance minister will assume acting presidency.
Yoon declared emergency martial law on Dec 3, only to repeal it the very next day after the parliament voted against its implementation.
SEOUL -- S. Korea's joint investigation team will summon the impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol on Wednesday on charges of insurrection and abuse of power, multiple media outlets reported Monday.
The team was scheduled to deliver a summons to the presidential office, asking Yoon to appear for questioning on Dec. 18 as part of its probe into Yoon's martial law imposition.
The team is composed of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), the National Office of Investigation (NOI) and the defense ministry's investigation headquarters.
The second motion to impeach Yoon was passed through the National Assembly on Saturday and was delivered to the constitutional court to deliberate it for up to 180 days, during which Yoon's presidential power is suspended.
Yoon declared an emergency martial law on the night of Dec. 3, but it was revoked by the National Assembly hours later.
Yoon was named by investigative agencies as a suspect on insurrection charge and became the first sitting president to be banned from leaving the country.
The parliament of the Republic of Korea impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol on Saturday over his short-lived martial law decree, sparking jubilation among supporters of the action, but the decision requires endorsement from the country's Constitutional Court, which analysts said indicates that political uncertainty in the ROK is far from over.
The 300-member National Assembly passed the impeachment motion 204-85 in the afternoon, after which Yoon's presidential powers and duties were suspended, and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo took over as acting president pending a final court decision.
Lam Peng Er, head of the Korea Centre and principal research fellow of the East Asian Institute at National University of Singapore, called the parliament's decision "just the end of the beginning" of the political crisis in the ROK. "It is going to be a very tricky, uncertain transition, so South Korea now is in uncharted territory," Lam said.
The Constitutional Court has up to 180 days to determine whether to dismiss Yoon as president or restore his powers. If Yoon is removed from office, a national election to choose his successor must be held within 60 days.
Lam said that while the court's decision will be a complicated process, a potential fresh election will see intensified competition between the ruling and opposition parties, with factional politics adding to political uncertainty.
Saturday's secret ballot voting on Yoon's impeachment was the second held in the National Assembly within two weeks of his Dec 3 imposition of martial law. Ruling party lawmakers boycotted the first vote on the motion on Dec 7.
With all 300 members present this time, 204 voted in favor and 85 against. There were three abstentions and eight invalid votes. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik said the outcome was driven by "the people's ardent desire for democracy, courage and dedication", The Associated Press reported.
Hundreds of thousands of people who had gathered near the parliament roared in jubilation following the announcement. They waved banners about the constitutional order being preserved and chanted, "We did it!"
Prime Minister Han, a seasoned politician who has previously held a string of top government posts, was quoted by Yonhap News Agency as saying, "I will give all my strength and effort to stably manage state affairs in this difficult time."
Han convened a National Security Council meeting and vowed to maintain a strong security posture and manage international credibility in a stable manner.
Kweon Seong-dong, floor leader of the ROK's ruling People Power Party, of which Yoon is a member, said on Sunday that they have rejected a proposal by the main opposition Democratic Party to set up a bipartisan consultation mechanism to stabilize the operation of state affairs, Xinhua News Agency reported.
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, told reporters on the same day that his party will not consider an impeachment move against Han as of now.
Yoon is the third ROK president impeached while in office. In December 2016, the National Assembly impeached Park Geun-hye, the country's first female president, over a corruption scandal. The Constitutional Court took 91 days to uphold her impeachment and removed her from office in March 2017. In 2004, then president Roh Moo-hyun was impeached by the ROK parliament over an alleged election law violation, but the court later overturned his impeachment and restored his presidential powers. The court's decision came in 63 days.
According to ROK law, the Constitutional Court can uphold a presidential impeachment with at least six votes in favor, but it typically requires a review by seven of the nine justices. The court currently has six justices after three reached the end of their term earlier this year.
Cho Hee-kyoung, a law professor at Hongik University in Seoul, said the court is likely to uphold the impeachment, as it is clear that Yoon's imposition of martial law was unconstitutional. "Basically, the court only needs to be convinced that the order came from Yoon, and he knew what he was doing," she said.
Cho noted that nomination of new justices is in progress, with two candidates recommended by the main opposition party and one by the ruling party, but their final appointment could take time, because it calls for a consensus of the two parties.
kelly@chinadailyapac.com
SEOUL -- South Korean prosecutors said on Sunday that impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol did not comply with a summons for today and they will soon issue another order, Yonhap news agency reported.
The special prosecution team handling an investigation into Yoon's botched martial law imposition said it had sent a summons to Yoon on Dec 11 to call him into the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office for questioning at 10 am Sunday. Yoon did not show up.
The summons was sent to Yoon's office and the prosecution had confirmed its delivery, Yonhap said, citing a prosecution official.
The prosecution said it plans to send a second summons to Yoon soon, the Yonhap report added.
Yoon was impeached in a National Assembly vote on Saturday over his short-lived imposition of a highly controversial emergency martial law earlier this month.
The impeached president was accused of abusing his power to declare martial law for unconstitutional and unlawful purposes and to order military commanders to dispatch troops to the parliament and arrest key political figures, the Yonhap report said.
SEOUL -- Kweon Seong-dong, the floor leader of the South Korean ruling party, said on Sunday that his party has rejected a proposal by the country's main opposition party to set up a consultative body to stabilize the operation of state affairs.
The People Power Party is still the ruling party and an acting president has already been appointed according to the Constitution, Kweon said at the National Assembly on Sunday.
Earlier in the day, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, said in a press conference that it is imperative for the country to realize a speedy normalization as the national defense and security posture have been undermined by the "insurrection" incident, referring to the botched emergency martial law imposition earlier this month by the now-impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol.
Lee called on the country's parliament and government to set up a consultative body to stabilize the operation of state affairs in the spirit of multi-party cooperation in governance.
SEOUL -- South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the country's acting president, talked to US President Joe Biden in a phone call on Sunday, vowing to maintain and develop the alliance between the two countries, Yonhap news agency reported, citing Han's office.
The South Korean government "will carry out our diplomatic and security policies without disruption and work to ensure that the South Korea-US alliance continues to be maintained and developed without wavering," Han was quoted by Yonhap as saying during the phone conversation.
He explained to the US president that all state affairs of South Korea will be run strictly in accordance with the constitution and laws.
Biden said the US side will continue to work together with the South Korean side for the development and strengthening of the US-South Korea alliance and US-Japan-South Korea cooperation, according to Yonhap.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reportedly said in the southern Jordanian city of Aqaba on Saturday that the US government is ready to work with Han's government.
Han assumed office as acting president after President Yoon Suk-yeol was suspended from his duties following his impeachment on Saturday.
The acting president said in a national address Saturday night that he would do his best to stabilize state affairs in accordance with the constitution and laws.
SEOUL -- Lee Jae-myung, leader of South Korea's main opposition party, said on Sunday in a press conference that his party will not consider for now an impeachment against Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the country's acting president.
Lee stressed to Han the importance of managing state affairs in a neutral stance during their phone call on Saturday, the chief of the Democratic Party of Korea told reporters.
President Yoon Suk-yeol has been suspended from his presidential duties since the National Assembly voted on Saturday to impeach him over his botched martial law imposition.
Yoon vows to do best for country till end after parliament OKs President's impeachment bill.
South Korea's National Assembly passed on Saturday a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol amid growing calls for Yoon to step down over his martial law decree.
In a plenary session, the bill was approved in a 204-85 vote with three abstentions, according to Yonhap News Agency.
Although the majority of lawmakers from the ruling party boycotted the first impeachment vote on Dec 7, all 300 lawmakers voted on the second motion.
The passage of the impeachment motion is a decision made in accordance with the promise to uphold the Constitution, which was solemnly sworn to as representatives of the people, said National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik after announcing the result.
"The National Assembly and the government will work together to restore stability to people's livelihoods, while ensuring anxiety and concern in economy, foreign affairs and security and other issues will not further increase," said Woo.
Calls for Yoon to step down have been growing after he shocked the nation by declaring emergency martial law on the night of Dec 3. The declaration was revoked by the National Assembly about two hours later.
The first impeachment vote was scrapped on Dec 7 after the majority of lawmakers from the ruling party boycotted the vote.
Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, said the passage of the vote is "the victory of the people and democracy".
After the impeachment vote is passed, the Constitutional Court is required to decide whether the motion is valid within 180 days.
In the previous case, it took the court 63 days and 91 days to rule on former presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Park Geun-hye's impeachment cases in 2004 and 2017, respectively.
If the court decides to impeach Yoon, a presidential election would take place within 60 days.
Nationwide rallies were held on Saturday as tens of thousands of people gathered on the streets to demand Yoon's impeachment.
SEOUL -- South Korea's National Assembly on Saturday started voting on a second impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol over his botched declaration of martial law.
The first motion to impeach the president was scrapped last Saturday due to a lack of quorum, with nearly all lawmakers from Yoon's ruling People Power Party boycotting the vote.
The ruling People Power Party decided to maintain its position to oppose the impeachment motion but not to boycott the vote, Yonhap news agency reported Saturday.
SEOUL -- South Korea's National Assembly on Saturday opened a plenary session to vote on a second impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol over his botched declaration of martial law.
The ruling People Power Party decided to maintain its position to oppose the impeachment motion, but not to boycott the vote, Yonhap news agency reported Saturday.
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South Korean ruling party maintains decision to oppose President Yoon's impeachment: media
SEOUL -- A South Korean court on Friday issued arrest warrants for heads of national and Seoul police agencies for their roles in President Yoon Suk-yeol's brief imposition of martial law last week.
The Seoul Central District Court said that it has issued arrest warrants for Cho Ji-ho, commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency, and Kim Bong-sik, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, considering the possibility that the two might destroy evidence.
The two top police officers had been arrested Wednesday under emergency arrest without warrants, and taken into custody at Seoul Namdaemun Police Station.
Earlier in the evening, prosecutors arrested Lee Jin-woo, chief of the Capital Defense Command, as part of their ongoing investigations into his alleged involvement in Yoon's martial law declaration.
Lee, who had previously been placed under a travel ban, was accused of ordering the deployment of martial law troops to the National Assembly building after Yoon declared martial law on Dec 3.
SEOUL -- South Korea's parliament on Friday reported the second impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol over his martial law declaration after the first one was scrapped last Saturday, TV footage showed.
The motion to impeach Yoon was reported in the 300-member National Assembly's plenary session after the first one failed to be passed last week as most of the 108 ruling party lawmakers boycotted it.
Under the constitution, the impeachment bill must be initiated by a majority of lawmakers and approved by at least two-thirds of the National Assembly legislators.
The opposition bloc will need eight votes from the ruling party lawmakers to pass the motion.
If it is passed, the constitutional court will deliberate it for up to 180 days, during which Yoon's constitutional powers will be suspended and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will be an acting president.
If the impeachment of Yoon is upheld by the court, a snap presidential election would be held within 60 days.
Yoon was named as a suspect on an insurrection charge over his declaration of an emergency martial law on the night of Dec 3, which was repealed by the National Assembly hours later.
SEOUL -- South Korean police were reviewing a raid on President Yoon Suk-yeol's residence as part of the investigation into Yoon's alleged insurrection charge over his martial law declaration, Yonhap news agency said Friday.
An unidentified official with the National Office of Investigation (NOI) was quoted as saying that the raid on the presidential residence was in the "reviewing stage" while a search warrant against Yoon for phone call details was being reviewed.
The police were also reviewing whether to seek an arrest warrant against Yoon, local broadcaster YTN reported.
A group of police investigators on Wednesday attempted to raid Yoon's office, but security service agents blocked the entry for security reasons.
Yoon was named as a suspect in the alleged insurrection charge over his declaration of an emergency martial law on the night of Dec. 3, which the National Assembly repealed hours later.
The opposition parties, including the main liberal Democratic Party, on Thursday submitted the second impeachment motion against Yoon after the first one was scrapped last Saturday.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Thursday his martial law decree was "an act of governance" and accused the opposition of paralyzing state affairs, drawing fresh criticism and adding new uncertainty to the upcoming impeachment vote this weekend.
In a televised address, Yoon said the opposition was the one that paralyzed the government and threatened national security. He said the opposition has been abusing impeachment provisions and thwarting him and other top officials since he took office because they refused to accept the result of the presidential election in 2022.
He said he used his presidential powers to declare martial law to protect the nation and normalize the functioning of the state.
Describing the opposition as "anti-national forces", Yoon said he would fight till the last moment.
"Whether it is impeachment or investigation, I will stand up to it," said Yoon, adding he will not avoid legal and political responsibility regarding the martial law decree.
Later on Thursday, South Korea's opposition parties submitted a second impeachment motion against Yoon over his martial law declaration, according to multiple media outlets.
The main liberal opposition Democratic Party, or DP, and five other minor parties submitted the motion after the first one was scrapped on Dec 7 as the ruling People Power Party, or PPP, lawmakers boycotted a vote.
The opposition bloc planned to report the motion to a plenary session of the National Assembly on Friday and put it up for a vote on Saturday afternoon.
Yoon's speech received mixed reactions. PPP leader Han Dong-hoon said the party's lawmakers should take part in the next impeachment vote to stop further confusion, according to Yonhap News Agency. He also ordered party members to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the expulsion of Yoon from the party.
However, PPP's newly elected floor leader Kweon Seong-dong, a key confidant of Yoon, said the party is still against the impeachment motion but there will be a meeting of lawmakers to discuss whether to change the stance.
DP said Yoon's speech is equivalent to "declaring war on the people and the National Assembly".
'Unacceptable' intention
National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, who is aligned with the DP, said Yoon's purported intention to use the martial law declaration as a warning to the National Assembly is unacceptable.
"I suggest that the ruling and the opposition parties hold a meeting immediately," said Woo. "We need to clear up national instability as soon as possible."
Refuting Yoon's suspicions of election fraud, the National Election Commission said in a statement that the allegations are baseless.
During the martial law decree last week, about 300 troops were sent to several election offices, and the election watchdog said Yoon's address proved the troop deployment was "unconstitutional and unlawful".
The National Assembly passed bills on Thursday to investigate Yoon's insurrection charge and scandals involving first lady Kim Keon-hee.
South Korean law gives a president immunity from prosecution while in office, except for allegations of rebellion or treason. This means that Yoon can be questioned and detained by investigative agencies over his martial law decree, but many observers doubt that authorities will forcefully detain him because of the potential for clashes with his presidential security service.
The new impeachment vote at the National Assembly on Saturday requires a two-thirds majority in the 300-seat parliament to pass.
If the motion is passed, the constitutional court will deliberate it for up to 180 days, during which Yoon's presidential power will be suspended.
The opposition bloc originally held 192 of the 300 seats, but Cho Kuk, leader of Rebuilding Korea Party, lost his parliamentary seat on Thursday after he was sentenced to a two-year prison term by the Supreme Court.
Cho was convicted of charges including academic fraud involving his children. He also lost his right to run in presidential elections for five years, which means he cannot participate in the next presidential election if the court decides to impeach Yoon.
Cho's party said it plans to hand over the proportional representation seat, which can still be held by the party, as soon as possible to the next in line so the successor can participate in the impeachment vote in time.
In a survey released by pollster Realmeter on Thursday, 74.8 percent of the respondents said the president should be suspended immediately by resignation or impeachment and 16.2 percent of people said Yoon should resign in an orderly manner as proposed by the ruling party.
Xinhua and agencies contributed to this story.
kelly@chinadailyapac.com
BEIJING - China is deeply surprised and dissatisfied with China-related remarks made by the Republic of Korea (ROK) side, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Thursday.
Mao made the comment during a regular press briefing in response to a query about the remarks made by President of the ROK Yoon Suk-yeol in a televised address.
"China has taken note of this," said Mao, adding that China does not comment on the domestic affairs of the ROK, but firmly opposes the ROK side's attempt to relate its domestic issues with China, which hypes up groundless accusations of the so-called Chinese spies, and smears normal economic and trade cooperation.
"This is not conducive to the healthy and stable development of China-ROK relations," said the spokesperson.
"The Chinese government has always required Chinese citizens overseas to abide by local laws and regulations," Mao said, adding that no conclusion has been reached regarding the case mentioned by the ROK side, and the relevant departments of China and the ROK have maintained communication about it.
China once again urges the ROK side to handle cases involving Chinese citizens fairly, inform China of the handling of the cases in a timely manner, and effectively protect the safety and legitimate rights and interests of the Chinese citizens involved, Mao said.
On China's green industry, Mao said that its development is the result of global market demand, technological innovation and full competition, and this sector has also made important contributions to addressing climate change and improving global environmental governance.
SEOUL -- South Korea's opposition parties on Thursday submitted a second impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol over his martial law declaration, according to multiple media outlets.
The main liberal opposition Democratic Party and five other minor parties submitted the second motion to impeach Yoon after the first one was scrapped last Saturday as the ruling People Power Party lawmakers boycotted a vote.
The opposition bloc planned to report the motion to a plenary session of the National Assembly on Friday and put it up for a vote at 5:00 pm local time (0800 GMT) on Saturday.
Under the constitution, at least two-thirds of the 300 National Assembly lawmakers are required to vote in favor to pass an impeachment motion.
If the motion is passed, the constitutional court will deliberate it for up to 180 days, during which Yoon's presidential power will be suspended.
Yoon declared an emergency martial law on the night of Dec 3, but it was revoked by the National Assembly hours later.
The embattled president said earlier in the day that his martial law imposition aimed to protect against the "legislative dictatorship" of the majority opposition.
SEOUL -- South Korea's parliament on Thursday passed bills to appoint independent counsels to investigate President Yoon Suk-yeol's insurrection charge over his martial law declaration and scandals involving the first lady, local media reported.
Of 283 National Assembly lawmakers attending the plenary session, 195 voted for the special prosecutor bill against Yoon and 86 dissented, with two abstentions.
Under the bill, the president is required to pick and appoint one prosecutor among those recommended.
If Yoon vetoes it, the bill should be put to a revote in which at least two-thirds of the 300-member assembly should vote for it to be passed.
Yoon declared an emergency martial law on the night of Dec. 3, which was revoked by the National Assembly hours later.
The investigative agencies have probed rebellion and other charges against Yoon who became the country's first sitting president placed under an overseas travel ban.
Meanwhile, of 282 lawmakers participating in the vote Thursday on the special counsel bill against first lady Kim Keon-hee, 195 were in favor and 85 were against, with two abstentions.
Subject to the independent counsel's investigation were allegations of stock price manipulation and interference in candidate nominations for the 2022 by-elections and the 2024 parliamentary elections, as well as in public opinion manipulation during the 2022 presidential election.
The previous three bills against the first lady were vetoed by Yoon and scrapped in a revote.
SEOUL -- South Korea's parliament on Thursday passed impeachment motions against the justice minister and the police chief over their alleged roles in President Yoon Suk-yeol's martial law declaration, local media reported.
Among 295 National Assembly lawmakers attending the plenary session, 195 were in favor of and 100 were against the motion to impeach Justice Minister Park Sung-jae.
The motion to suspend the duty of Cho Ji-ho, the National Police Agency chief, was passed in a 202-88 vote with one abstained and four voided.
Their duties will be suspended until the constitutional court decides on whether to uphold the impeachment motion.
The opposition parties claimed that Park and Cho played roles in Yoon's martial law imposition by participating in a cabinet meeting to put the country under military rule.
Yoon declared an emergency martial law on the night of Dec. 3, which was revoked by the National Assembly hours later.
The embattled president said in an address to the nation earlier in the day that his martial law declaration aimed to protect against the "legislative dictatorship" of the majority opposition.
SEOUL -- South Korean National Archives and the Presidential Archives have begun to check the records related to emergency martial law, Yonhap news agency reported Thursday.
Due to concerns that documents related to the martial law declaration last week may be damaged, the archive agencies decided to conduct some on-site inspections.
