On Sunday, December 8th, South Korean Prime Minister Han Deok-soo held talks with the leader of the ruling party, the National Power Party, Han Dong-hun. Following the talks, they held a joint press conference to express their views on the current political situation in South Korea.
Han Dong-hun stated that, given that a majority of the people believe the incumbent president should resign, President Yoon is unable to govern properly for the remainder of his term and must step down. Yoon Suk-yeol will resign “in an orderly manner.”
He also mentioned that he will “progressively promote the early resignation of the president” to ensure that Yoon Suk-yeol will not be involved in any national affairs, including diplomacy, during his term, “I will ensure that the public and the international community do not feel worried about this.”
Han Dong-hun emphasized that an “orderly early presidential resignation” can minimize the chaos for the country and its citizens, stabilize the current political situation, and reaffirm the country’s liberal democracy.
He did not specify a timetable for advancing Yoon Suk-yeol’s “orderly early resignation.” Yoon Suk-yeol took office as the President of South Korea in May 2022, and his term is expected to end in May 2027. South Korea’s current constitution stipulates a single five-year presidential term without the possibility of reelection.
Han Dong-hun also apologized on behalf of the ruling party for the martial law incident, acknowledging that the state of emergency had caused “irreversible significant losses” to the country and its citizens, resulting in great disappointment and distrust towards the government from the people. The ruling party will humbly accept the judgment and evaluation of the people.
He promised to ensure that the investigative agencies conduct a fair, serious, and transparent investigation, emphasizing that neither the government nor the ruling party will show favoritism towards anyone, including the president.
Han Dong-hun further stated that the ruling party will closely cooperate with Prime Minister Han Deok-soo to ensure that the welfare of the people and national affairs in South Korea will not be disrupted. He will hold meetings with the Prime Minister at least once a week to prevent any gaps in national governance.
Prime Minister Han Deok-soo concurred with Han Dong-hun, emphasizing that “it is crucial that there should be no vacuum in national affairs.”
He reassured that the South Korean government will strive to resolve the current situation promptly, with all state councilors and ministry officials, including himself, prioritizing the will of the people and working together with the ruling party to ensure the stable and smooth functioning of all national functions.
He also pledged to maintain the strong alliance between South Korea and the United States as well as trilateral cooperation with the U.S. and Japan.
Regarding the ruling party’s proposal for an “orderly promotion of the president’s early resignation,” the highest-ranking member of South Korea’s largest opposition party, the Minjoo Democratic Party, Jin Min-seok, criticized the move, stating that “suspending the president’s duties is the only procedure stipulated by the constitution, and any other proposition is unconstitutional and tantamount to continuing civil strife.”
He advocated for pushing for the impeachment of Yoon Suk-yeol to compel his swift resignation.
Jin Min-seok criticized the transitional arrangements proposed by the ruling party regarding national affairs, arguing that the Prime Minister should not have the authority to command the military, administer executive departments, appoint public officials, or become the central figure in national affairs.
He added that the Prime Minister is also among those being investigated in the martial law incident. If Han Deok-soo proposed the implementation of martial law or if the South Korean National Security Council agreed to it during the incident, Han Deok-soo would also be considered a “significant participant in internal disturbance.”
Jin Min-seok emphasized that as the leader of the ruling party, Han Dong-hun is not a member of the South Korean National Assembly and does not have the legal authority to lead national institutions. Additionally, the contents of the private meeting between Han Dong-hun and Yoon Suk-yeol on the eve of the vote on Yoon’s impeachment in the South Korean National Assembly on December 6 should also be investigated.
On the 7th, the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol initiated by the South Korean National Assembly was nullified due to the boycott by ruling party parliamentarians, resulting in a vote count below the required statutory approval threshold.
The majority of the ruling party’s lawmakers opposed the impeachment motion and walked out of the voting session, leading to insufficient attendance for the motion to pass with the necessary support of 200 votes—two-thirds of the majority in the parliament—ultimately causing the motion to be automatically nullified.
Except for three members, Ahn Cheol-soo, Kim Yeong-ji, and Kim Sang-uk, all 105 other lawmakers of the ruling party out of 108 used the tactic of leaving the floor to resist the opposition’s impeachment motion against Yoon Suk-yeol, leaving only 195 parliamentarians present when the vote on impeachment began.
After most ruling party lawmakers left the session, National Assembly Speaker Yu Won-shik did not immediately conclude the vote but opted to wait for their return, which did not happen.
Because the attendance of lawmakers did not meet the required statutory number of 200 votes for the impeachment motion to pass, the South Korean National Assembly did not proceed with the tally and thus automatically nullified the impeachment motion.
The opposition party has indicated that if the impeachment motion does not pass on the day of the vote, they will continue to pursue impeachment in the National Assembly. It is expected that the impeachment of the president will remain a point of contention between the ruling and opposition parties in South Korea.
After an eight-year hiatus, South Korean prosecutors have established a special investigation unit to probe the martial law incident. Park Se-hyun, the chief prosecutor of the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office, is leading the unit, which consists of 20 prosecutors and over 30 investigators who will be involved in the investigation. On the morning of the 8th, they announced the emergency detention of the former South Korean Minister of Defense, Kim Yong-hyeon, who is suspected of carrying out the martial law order for Yoon Suk-yeol, and seized his mobile phone.
The prosecutors previously set up a special investigation unit during the administration of Park Geun-hye to investigate the Choi Soon-sil political scandal.
Kim Yong-hyeon has been transferred to the Seoul Eastern Detention Center. The special investigation unit plans to apply for an arrest warrant for Kim Yong-hyeon within 48 hours after his detention.
The prosecutors believe that Kim Yong-hyeon’s alleged crime of insurrection is a serious offense, and he may have colluded with others to destroy evidence, meeting the criteria for emergency detention.
Kim Yong-hyeon, a high school classmate of Yoon Suk-yeol, served as the Minister of Defense of South Korea in August 2024. Previously, he was the head of Yoon Suk-yeol’s Presidential Security Service and was responsible for deploying the military to enforce martial law during the turmoil.
Kim Yong-hyeon resigned from his position as Defense Minister after the withdrawal of the martial law order on the 4th, apologizing for the “turmoil and concern” caused to the South Korean people by the martial law.