Ruling party leader unexpectedly calls for suspension of President Yoon Suk Yeol's power, US says impeachment is internal matter

South Korea's ruling People's Power Party (PPP) chairman Han Dong Hoon has changed his stance and called for the immediate suspension of President Yoon Suk Yeol's power.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (R) meets with ruling party chairman Han Dong Hoon (C) at the presidential office in Seoul with presidential chief of staff Chung Jin-suk. (Source: Yonhap)

On December 5, Mr. Han Dong Hoon said he would try to prevent the opposition's impeachment move in the National Assembly , after President Yoon Suk Yeol suddenly declared martial law late on December 3 and lifted it a few hours later.

However, according to Yonhap news agency, on December 6, the chairman of the ruling PPP party announced that Mr. Yoon's power should be quickly suspended, and revealed that the leader had ordered the arrest of prominent politicians during the martial law period.

Specifically, Mr. Han confirmed that President Yoon Suk Yeol had instructed Counterintelligence Commander Yeo In Hyung to arrest key political figures on charges of being "anti-state" forces, and even mobilized intelligence to arrest them.

The ruling party chairman said it was possible the leader would again take "extreme action" such as a failed attempt to declare martial law.

Speaking at an emergency meeting of the party's leadership at the National Assembly, Mr. Han emphasized: "Given the facts that have just been revealed, I believe it is necessary to quickly suspend President Yoon Suk Yeol's position to protect the Republic of Korea and its people."

Following the PPP chairman's statement and before the impeachment vote in the National Assembly, Yoon Suk Yeol met with Han Dong Hoon. According to sources, the meeting took place at the Presidential Office at Yoon Suk Yeol's request, with the participation of presidential chief of staff Chung Jin Suk and PPP lawmaker Joo Jin Woo.

President Yoon's impeachment requires a two-thirds vote in the 300-member National Assembly, meaning at least eight votes from the ruling party, which holds 108 seats in the legislature.

Regarding the reaction of the United States, South Korea's most important ally, to developments in the Northeast Asian country's politics, on December 5, the US State Department expressed its hope that Seoul would follow the path of democracy.

Washington, however, has not taken a stance on the country's lawmakers' efforts to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his brief imposition of martial law.

Speaking to reporters, US State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said that it was Seoul's internal process, which the US side hoped would be handled according to the Korean Constitution.

Asked whether the relationship between the US and President Yoon could continue as normal, Mr. Patel asserted that the Washington-Seoul alliance “is bigger than any particular president or government on either side of the Pacific.”

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