An army commander said on Tuesday ( Dec. 10 ) over concerns of a power vacuum, with Yoon’s office saying it had” no official position” on who was running the country. After he declared martial law, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol gave an order to “drag out” lawmakers from parliament.
Yoon is currently the subject of insurrection-related judicial inquiries. He has apologized for the unsuccessful attempt to impose martial law, but he has not accepted growing calls for him to move over, perhaps from some members of his own party.
Yoon claimed on Saturday that his ruling People Power Party ( PPP ) would have control over his legal and political affairs. The party announced on Tuesday that it would be holding a snap poll in April or May and that it would be discussing Yoon’s possible withdrawal as early as February.
The surprise military law declaration by Yoon shocked the nation and plunged Asia’s fourth-largest business and a significant US ally in the area into a legal crisis, sending ripples across diplomatic and economic sides.
Yoon’s business, when asked by Reuters who was running South Korea, said it had” no formal position to offer” but referred to past comments by the foreign and defence departments.
Yoon was still the commander in chief, according to a spokeswoman for the defense department on Monday, and the foreign ministry official claimed that state politics, including foreign affairs, were being conducted according to a procedure established in the Constitution and the law.
The Army Special Warfare Command chief, Kwak Jong-geun, informed a parliament committee that Yoon had called him numerous times as the events broke out immediately following the military law declaration.
He said to “break the door along right now,” Kwak, referring to lawmakers who were preparing to vote on whether Yoon should retract the martial law purchase.
Kwak said he decided not to kill Yoon’s purchase.
Yoon rescinded the martial law six hours later after the legislature’s voting.
The special causes commander’s evidence differed from earlier assertions by military officers that Kim Yong-hyun, the defense minister at the time, was the one who issued the order to remove lawmakers from the legislature room.
Kim has since resigned and has been arrested.
Yoon was prohibited from leaving the nation and is scheduled to have a subsequent impeachment vote on Saturday.