Current:Home > InvestSouth Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech -SecureNest Finance
South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
View
Date:2025-04-11 22:30:04
SEOUL, Dec 12 - South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's switch from contrition to defiance on Thursday (Dec 11) over his martial law order rallied some supporters but other members of his party said it did nothing to sway their view that he must be removed from office.
In a speech before a second impeachment vote scheduled for Saturday, Yoon condemned his political opponents as "anti-state forces" that side with enemies in North Korea, said Pyongyang may have hacked the South's elections and defended last week's short-lived martial law order as a legal move to protect democracy.
The remarks hit many of the talking points featuring on conservative YouTube channels and marked a sharp change of tone from a speech before the first impeachment vote last week in which he apologised and said he would place his political future in the hands of his People Power Party.
It was unclear what caused the change but Yoon gave no sign of supporting a proposal by PPP leader Han Dong-hoon for him to resign in coming months and to hand authority to the prime minister and ruling party until then.
The speech brought to the fore divisions in the PPP. Changing tack, Han urged party members to vote for impeachment on Saturday, a move greeted by shouting from pro-Yoon lawmakers, who voted in Kweon Seong-dong as their new party floor leader shortly after Yoon's speech.
[[nid:712402]]
Kweon, a Yoon supporter, said the party's position was still to oppose the president's impeachment but that a meeting would be held before Saturday's vote to finalise plans.
The party boycotted the last vote, preventing a quorum. At least 200 votes are needed to impeach Yoon. Opposition parties have 192 seats, so they need at least eight PPP members to join.
As of Thursday, at least seven members of the party were expected to support a new impeachment motion.
One PPP lawmaker who said he would now vote to impeach Yoon said the president's new remarks may have rallied some loyalists but sowed more confusion and division among conservatives.
[[nid:712337]]
"His speech had an impact on the election of the floor leader. Also, it sounds like he urged those who blindly follow the president among conservatives to take action," PPP lawmaker Kim Sang-wook told reporters.
Kim said he felt frustrated and betrayed because the speech dashed his last hopes that Yoon would leave office in a "decent" way.
Public support for impeachment
Opinion polls show a majority of South Koreans support impeaching Yoon. A survey released by pollster Realmeter on Dec. 5 found 73.6 per cent of respondents supported impeachment, including 50.4 per cent of those who identified themselves as conservatives.
Yoon's speech lit up conservative political forums online, with the top-ranked posts titled "Martial law was the most reasonable decision", and "Han made a wrong decision".
After Yoon's speech, scuffles could be seen breaking out between attendees of a pro-conservative rally in central Seoul and an opposition supporter who removed a banner of support for Yoon's martial law declaration.
Kim Tae-hyun, who attended the rally, said he thought Yoon did a "good job" with his speech and had the right to declare martial law.
"And the impeachment just shouldn't happen... So (the martial law declaration) was merely an expression of the authority of the president," said Kim. "The Democratic Party, which is currently holding the country back, is the real issue."
[[nid:712404]]
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
veryGood! (23344)
Related
- Nearly half of US teens are online ‘constantly,’ Pew report finds
- Aileen Cannon, Trump-appointed judge, assigned initially to oversee documents case
- How a team of Black paramedics set the gold standard for emergency medical response
- Real Housewives of Miami's Guerdy Abraira Shares Breast Cancer Diagnosis
- 'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
- California voters enshrine right to abortion and contraception in state constitution
- Environmental Group Alleges Scientific Fraud in Disputed Methane Studies
- Kendall Roy's Penthouse on Succession Is Just as Grand (and Expensive) as You'd Imagine
- 'Malcolm in the Middle’ to return with new episodes featuring Frankie Muniz
- A crash course in organ transplants helps Ukraine's cash-strapped healthcare system
Ranking
- Global Warming Set the Stage for Los Angeles Fires
- George Santos files appeal to keep names of those who helped post $500,000 bond sealed
- Michigan voters approve amendment adding reproductive rights to state constitution
- Fly-Fishing on Montana’s Big Hole River, Signs of Climate Change Are All Around
- A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
- Too many Black babies are dying. Birth workers in Kansas fight to keep them alive
- Today’s Climate: August 13, 2010
- UN Climate Summit: Small Countries Step Up While Major Emitters Are Silent, and a Teen Takes World Leaders to Task
Recommendation
Civic engagement nonprofits say democracy needs support in between big elections. Do funders agree?
Why Christine Quinn's Status With Chrishell Stause May Surprise You After Selling Sunset Feud
Tom Holland says he's taking a year off after filming The Crowded Room
Francia Raisa Pleads With Critics to Stop Online Bullying Amid Selena Gomez Drama
$73.5M beach replenishment project starts in January at Jersey Shore
Daily meditation may work as well as a popular drug to calm anxiety, study finds
U.S. Coastal Flooding Breaks Records as Sea Level Rises, NOAA Report Shows
Joran van der Sloot, prime suspect in Natalee Holloway's 2005 disappearance, pleads not guilty to extortion charges