South Korean Leaders Urge Calm and Cooperation After Yoon Suk Yeol's Impeachment

The leader of South Korea's opposition, Lee Jae-myung, has offered to collaborate with the government to ease political tensions. This comes after the parliament voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol following his brief attempt to impose martial law. Lee, from the Liberal Democratic Party, urged the Constitutional Court for a swift decision on Yoon's impeachment and suggested forming a special council for policy cooperation between the government and parliament.

Political Unrest and Impeachment

President Yoon's powers are currently suspended until the court decides on his future. If removed, a national election must occur within 60 days. Lee, who narrowly lost the 2022 presidential election to Yoon, is seen as a potential successor. He emphasised that a quick court ruling is crucial to "minimise national confusion and the suffering of people." The court will begin discussions on Monday and has up to 180 days to decide.

In past cases of presidential impeachments, such as Roh Moo-hyun in 2004 and Park Geun-hye in 2016, the court took 63 and 91 days respectively to reach decisions. Lee also proposed creating a national council for cooperation between the government and National Assembly to stabilise state affairs. He assured that his party would not seek to impeach Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who is acting as president.

Government Response and International Relations

Prime Minister Han has ordered increased military security to deter North Korean provocations. He also instructed the foreign minister to assure other countries that South Korea's external policies remain unchanged. Han discussed regional security challenges with US President Joe Biden, who reaffirmed America's commitment to South Korea's democracy.

Yoon's martial law decree on December 3 lasted only six hours but caused significant political upheaval. Parliament unanimously overturned it, forcing Yoon to retract his order. Despite deploying troops to prevent the vote, no major violence occurred. Opposition parties accused Yoon of rebellion, arguing martial law is only permissible during wartime or similar emergencies.

Legal Proceedings and Investigations

Law enforcement is investigating Yoon and others involved in the martial law incident for possible rebellion. Several high-ranking officials have been arrested. Although Yoon has immunity from most criminal charges as president, this does not cover allegations of rebellion or treason. He is barred from leaving South Korea but is unlikely to be detained due to potential conflicts with his security service.

Prosecutors have requested Yoon appear for questioning, but he refused. They plan to ask again. Meanwhile, Lee called for expedited investigations and an independent probe by a special prosecutor. Last week, the National Assembly passed legislation supporting such an investigation.

Lee's proposal for a national council remains uncertain as Prime Minister Han expressed willingness to cooperate with parliament but did not commit to joining the council. Kweon Seong-dong of the ruling People Power Party criticised Lee's suggestion, stating it's inappropriate for the opposition to act like the ruling party.

The Democratic Party has already used its parliamentary majority to impeach key officials over the martial law decree and considered impeaching the prime minister earlier. As acting leader, Han aims to stabilise state affairs and restore international trust amidst ongoing political turmoil in South Korea.