The N. Korea begins voting to impeach president for martial law. the ruling party leaves

• Yoon says martial law declaration born out of desperation.
• The head of the ruling party says the president’s resignation is inevitable.
• Prosecutors are investigating Yoon for sedition and abuse of power.
  

SEOUL: Members of South Korean President Yun Suk-yeol’s party walked out of parliament just before a scheduled impeachment vote began on Saturday over his attempt to impose martial law.

As lawmakers debated the proposal, tabled by the main opposition Democratic Party, only one member of Yun’s People’s Power Party (PPP) remained in his seat, raising doubts about whether the measure would reach the two-thirds threshold to pass. pass

The opposition needs at least eight votes from the PPP. As the PPP lawmakers walked out after voting on a separate motion to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the first lady, some people shouted and cursed at them.

Opposition leaders said if the no-confidence motion fails, they plan to reconsider it on Wednesday.

Yoon earlier apologized for his attempt to impose martial law this week but did not resign, defying strong pressure to step down even from some in his ruling party.

Yun said he would not seek to avoid legal and political responsibility for his decision to declare martial law for the first time in South Korea since 1980. He said the decision was born out of desperation.

The speech was the embattled leader’s first public appearance since he lifted the martial law order early on Wednesday, just six hours after it was declared and after parliament defied military and police cordons to vote down the decree.

The move plunged Asia’s fourth-largest economy and a key military ally of the United States into its biggest political crisis in decades and threatened to destroy South Korea’s reputation as a democratic success.

“I am very sorry and would like to sincerely apologize to the people who were shocked,” Yun said in a televised address to the nation, promising there would be no second attempt at martial law.

“I leave it to my party to take steps to stabilize the political situation in the future, including the issue of my tenure,” he said.

Standing in front of the South Korean flag, Yoon bowed after finishing his brief remarks, looking solemnly into the camera for a moment.

Han Dong-hun, leader of Yun’s ruling party, said after the speech that the president is no longer able to carry out his public duties and that his resignation is now inevitable.

On Friday, Han said Yun was a danger to the country and should be removed from power, increasing pressure on Yun to step down, even though PPP members later confirmed their official opposition to his impeachment.

Han met with Prime Minister Han Dak-su on Saturday, local Yonhap News reported. According to the constitution, if Yun resigns or resigns, then the prime minister, who was appointed by Yun, will become South Korea’s acting president.

If Yun steps down before the end of his five-year term in May 2027, the constitution requires a presidential election to be held within 60 days of his departure.

For Yun to be impeached, 200 of the assembly’s 300 members must vote in favor. With opposition parties controlling 192 seats, eight members of the ruling party will have to join the opposition to conduct the vote.

If Yoon is impeached, a trial by the Constitutional Court will follow. The court can confirm a motion of impeachment by a vote of six of the nine justices. The court currently has only six sitting judges, and it is unclear whether it will take on the case without at least seven.

In 2017, the court took three months to remove then-President Park Geun-hye from office.

Prosecutors, police and the Office of Corruption Investigation for Senior Officials have launched investigations into Yun and senior officials involved in the martial law decree, seeking charges of sedition and abuse of power, among other charges.

The officials face possible charges of sedition, abuse of power and obstructing other people from exercising their rights. If convicted, the offense of leading a riot is punishable by death or life imprisonment, with or without prison labour.