State crisis: Investigators personally summon South Korea’s President Yoon

In order to overcome South Korea’s ongoing state crisis as quickly as possible, the law enforcement authorities want to summon the temporarily deposed President Yoon Suk Yeol for a personal questioning this Wednesday. During the questioning, it will be investigated whether Yoon was guilty of rioting and abuse of power by temporarily imposing martial law.

However, an initial attempt to send the request for questioning through the presidential office failed due to a lack of cooperation, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported. The Presidential Secretariat forwarded the investigative team, consisting of members of the police, the anti-corruption agency and representatives of the Ministry of Defense, to the presidential residence in Seoul. It is still unclear whether Yoon will cooperate with the authorities and appear personally.

Yoon Suk Yeol was removed from office on Saturday following a vote in Parliament. 204 of the 300 MPs voted for a motion submitted by the opposition. Since the opposition parties have a total of 192 seats, it is assumed that twelve members of the ruling party also supported the impeachment of their president in the anonymous vote.

Ruling party leader Han Dong Hoon resigns

The crisis in the conservative camp recently led to personnel consequences. On Monday, ruling party leader Han Dong Hoon announced his resignation. In a live televised press conference, Han said it had become impossible for him to fulfill his duties as leader of the conservative People Power Party (PPP). At the beginning of the national crisis, Han had already called on President Yoon Suk Yeol to resign early and later expressed his support for impeachment proceedings. On Monday, the outgoing party leader said that he still does not regret this decision.

Prime Minister Han Duck Soo will temporarily take over presidential duties before the Constitutional Court makes the final decision. The court can either confirm Yoon’s removal from office or declare it unconstitutional. The Constitutional Court has a maximum of 180 days to make its decision. However, its chairman has already announced that he will proceed as quickly and fairly as possible. If Yoon’s impeachment is confirmed, new elections would have to be held in South Korea within 60 days.

The opposition accuses Yoon of violating the constitution and treason. Yoon Suk Yeol unexpectedly imposed martial law at the beginning of the month and lifted it again hours later after massive resistance.

Yoon’s popularity ratings have recently fallen to a record low

As a result, opposition parties, unions and civil society organizations have organized daily demonstrations to demand the president’s resignation. On Saturday, according to police estimates, at least 200,000 people gathered in front of the South Korean parliament and celebrated the impeachment of President Yoon.

Most recently on Thursday, Yoon defended his decision again during a televised speech that was called at short notice. The president said he had declared martial law to protect the nation. His political opponents are “anti-state forces” that would paralyze government work and disrupt the country’s constitutional order. According to a representative survey, Yoon’s popularity ratings fell to a record low of eleven percent last week.