South Korean lawmakers push for President's removal after martial law drama
South Korean parliament starts impeachment process against President Yoon after his failed martial-law declaration. Opposition needs extra votes from ruling party to move forward with the historic decision
South Koreas parliament started impeachment talks against President Yoon Suk Yeol after his failed martial-law attempt (which happened just a few days ago)
The Democratic Party leader Kim Seung-won spoke to an almost-empty assembly hall: no ruling party members showed up for the late-night meeting
The Yoon regimeʼs martial law caused great confusion and fear; we need to stop his authority immediately
The opposition needs about 200 votes to pass the bill - meaning theyll need support from at least 8 members of Yoons party; the process could start as early as tomorrow
The martial-law drama played out like this:
- Armed forces tried entering parliament building
- Staff used fire-extinguishers to stop them
- People went to streets with candles
- Politicians rejected the order
If the bill passes‚ Prime Minister Han Duck-soo would take charge while Constitutional Court reviews the case - which might take up-to half a year. Its similar to what happened with former president Park Geun-hye about seven years ago‚ when she got removed after big street protests
The whole thing started when Yoon tried to put limits on media and political activities in Asiaʼs fourth-biggest economy; this created a six-hour mess with his own ministers disagreeing about what to do
