SEOUL: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is facing the threat of impeachment, with opposition lawmakers accusing him of violating his constitutional duty and committing a crime akin to treason when he declared martial law on Tuesday (Dec 3).
Yoon lifted the martial law declaration before dawn on Wednesday, just hours after the opposition-controlled parliament rejected his attempt to ban political activity and censor the media.
Here are details of the presidential impeachment process:
WHAT IS THE LAW?
The Constitution provides for parliament to bring an impeachment motion against the president or other high-ranking public officials if they are believed to “have violated the Constitution or any law in the performance of official duties”.
The presidential impeachment motion needs a two-thirds majority vote by the members of the single-chamber parliament to pass. A simple majority is needed to impeach other officials.
The Constitutional Court conducts a trial to either confirm or reject the impeachment motion, hearing evidence from parliament to determine whether the president violated the law.
DOES THE OPPOSITION HAVE THE VOTES?
Parliament is currently controlled by the main opposition Democratic Party, which has vowed to impeach Yoon. The party and other smaller parties have 192 seats, just short of the 200 required to impeach the president.
Some members of Yoon’s ruling People Power Party have strongly objected to his martial law declaration, but it was not clear if or how many of them will join the opposition if a motion is brought to a vote.
Yoon was already facing calls for impeachment and special investigations into a scandal involving his wife.
