According to the report from the South Korean news agency on December 5, 2024, the country’s largest opposition party, the Together Democratic Party, has decided to push for a parliamentary vote on the impeachment case against President Yoon Suk-yeol on December 7.
On Thursday, December 5, Zhao Chenglai, the chief spokesperson of the Together Democratic Party, made the above remarks after the conclusion of a meeting of the parliamentary committee held at the National Assembly. He stated that the specific voting time is expected to be around 7 p.m. local time on Saturday.
In addition, on Thursday, the opposition party also passed a resolution urging investigative agencies to arrest individuals who enforced martial law, referring to them as “persons involved in insurrection.”
Among them are former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun, Minister of Public Administration Lee Sang-min, Army Chief of Staff Park An-soo who served as the martial law commander during the period, military intelligence chief Yoo In-hyeong, Seoul Defense Command Commander Lee Jin-woo, Army Special Warfare Commander Koh Jung-geun, and Police Commissioner Cho Ji-ho.
In the late hours of Tuesday, December 3, Yoon Suk-yeol announced in an unannounced television address that, in order to eliminate pro-North Korean forces within the country and protect national security from the threat of communist influence, he had decided to impose martial law.
The martial law was lifted just 6 hours after its implementation through a parliamentary vote by the opposition party. The martial law incident has drawn significant international attention.
South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lee Jae-woong stated at a regular press conference on Thursday that the ministry had sent a letter to all foreign missions in South Korea the day before, affirming that the country’s social order and security are stable.
Lee Jae-woong also mentioned that despite the martial law incident, South Korea’s economic foundation remains solid, and credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s has maintained South Korea’s credit rating unchanged. At the same time, there are no signs indicating abnormal movements from North Korea.
The Foreign Ministry further emphasized that the martial law incident has not affected tourism and economic activities in South Korea, and there is no need for countries to adjust their travel warnings for South Korea.