Key occasions
Raphael Rashid
From inside South Korea’s parliament constructing I can see huge crowds by means of the glass doorways of the principle corridor. The hopes of a complete nation are seen in entrance of me.
There’s a big media presence outdoors the principle chamber as journalists await the votes to be counted.
Some journalists have reportedly been sporting black as a type of protest in opposition to the assault on press freedom that might have change into a actuality had Yoon’s declaration of martial regulation survived various hours.
Voting has been accomplished and the counting is now starting.
Justin McCurry
Raphael Rashid, the Guardian’s reporter in South Korea, is following the vote from contained in the Nationwide Meeting constructing.
He says there was a “big roar” calling for Yoon’s impeachment from the group outdoors as voting received below manner.
Who’s Yoon Suk Yeol?
Whereas we await the end result, right here is the Guardian’s profile of Yoon Suk Yeol.
For Yoon Suk Yeol, it seems, the tables have turned.
In 2017 the then prosecutor basic led the authorized motion to take away then-president Park Geun-hye from workplace after she was convicted of abuse of energy.
Now, in essentially the most weird, chaotic, few hours in current South Korean political historical past, Yoon himself is going through the music.
It took simply hours for Yoon’s place as president to go from precarious to untenable. Two years after he was sworn in after a bitterly divisive election, it’s arduous to see how Yoon, an arch conservative, can survive Tuesday’s disastrous try and impose martial regulation.
Opposition events are mustering their forces – which doubtlessly embrace members of Yoon’s personal Individuals Energy get together – in anticipation of an impeachment vote in the identical nationwide meeting that voted to right away elevate martial regulation round six hours after it was imposed.
Whereas Asia’s fourth-largest economic system – and neighbour to a hostile nuclear-armed North Korea – reels from the political turmoil Yoon fomented – it seems that solely his resignation will halt makes an attempt to make him the second South Korean president to be pressured from workplace for the reason that nation turned a democracy lower than 4 many years in the past.
Whereas Yoon beat his Democratic get together challenger, Lee Jae-myung, of their March 2022 presidential election, the momentum is now with Lee, who led the problem to martial regulation within the early hours of Wednesday.
Yoon had tried to justify the imposition of martial regulation by referencing the presence in South Korea of “shameless pro-North Korean, anti-state forces” decided to destroy [South Korea’s] democracy, though he didn’t provide any proof for his declare.
It’s much more doubtless that different, much less fanciful, elements have been behind his choice.
Yoon, a controversial determine who’s rumoured to have consulted shamanistic healers earlier than deciding to not transfer into the president’s official Blue House residence, vowed to take a hardline stance in opposition to North Korea, ending makes an attempt by his liberal predecessor, Moon Jae-in, to interact with the regime by means of summits with its chief, Kim Jong-un.
Voting is now starting. The method has been defined to lawmakers. We’ll convey you the end result as quickly as we get it.
Tens of 1000’s of individuals have braved the bitter chilly and poured onto the streets of the capital, Seoul, each evening for the previous two weeks, calling for Yoon’s ouster and arrest. They shouted slogans, sang, danced and waved Ok-pop mild sticks. Smaller teams of Yoon’s conservative supporters — nonetheless within the 1000’s — have additionally been rallying in Seoul, denouncing makes an attempt to question the president. Each rallies have largely been peaceable.
“Many individuals are utilizing idol mild sticks although they’re costly. I believe it’s change into a extremely nice tradition as a result of persons are bringing their most treasured and brightest possessions to specific their will and opinions,” stated Hong Gayeong, a 29-year-old protester, close to the Nationwide Meeting.
Right here is the scene outdoors parliament in Seoul:
Justin McCurry
Park stated South Korea’s democracy owed a lot to the pro-democracy protests within the southern metropolis of Gwangju in 1980, when demonstrators were killed and injured in a bloody crackdown. “Martial regulation ought to solely be proclaimed when the state is in an emergency or a state of battle,” Park stated of Yoon’s short-lived declaration on 3 December. “Nevertheless, these circumstances didn’t exist.”
“Yoon Suk Yeol is the chief of this riot,” Park has declared.
“If it weren’t for residents who rushed to the Nationwide Meeting, South Korea wouldn’t be totally different from 1980,” Park Chan-dae has stated, referencing the 1980 Gwangju bloodbath that occurred below army rule and stated that with out the South Korean folks’s intervention, the nation would have been taken again to 1980 by Yoon’s declaration.
Park Chan-dae, the ground chief of the Democratic get together of Korea – the principle opposition get together – is studying out the reasoning for impeaching the president, together with the content material of his martial regulation declaration.
The Nationwide Meeting session debating the impeachment of the president, Yoon Suk Yeol, is now below manner.
President’s get together to vote in opposition to impeachment – experiences
Justin McCurry
South Korea’s ruling get together has determined to keep up its official place to vote in opposition to the impeachment of president Yoon Suk Yeol, native media has reported.
Final Saturday’s first impeachment vote led to disarray after most members of Yoon’s conservative Individuals Energy get together (PPP) boycotted the impeachment vote. However PPP lawmakers are anticipated to show as much as vote right this moment.
Opening abstract
Hi there and welcome to the Guardian’s stay protection of the persevering with political disaster in South Korea, the place the parliament is making ready to vote for the second time on a movement to question the president, Yoon Suk Yeol, after his failed attempt to impose martial law.
1000’s of individuals have already taken to the streets of Seoul right this moment in rival rallies for and in opposition to Yoon, hours forward of the impeachment vote.
Protests demanding Yoon step down kicked off round noon outdoors the Nationwide Meeting, which can vote at 4pm (0700 GMT) on an impeachment decision – every week after a first attempt to remove Yoon for the martial law debacle failed.
Police count on at the least 200,000 folks to reveal in assist of eradicating him.
On the opposite aspect of Seoul close to Gwanghwamun sq., 1000’s extra rallied in assist of Yoon, blasting patriotic songs and waving South Korean and American flags.
200 votes are wanted for the impeachment to move, which means opposition lawmakers should persuade eight parliamentarians from Yoon’s conservative Individuals Energy get together (PPP) to modify sides. Seven have pledged to take action.
Right here’s what else occurred this week:
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Yoon defended his shock choice to impose martial regulation in a defiant and lengthy TV address on Thursday, vowing to “battle till the top” makes an attempt to take away him from workplace. He repeated claims that he had been attempting to defend the nation from anti-state forces
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On Wednesday, police raided Yoon’s office, in an try to determine whether or not Yoon’s actions amounted to riot. It emerged later that Yoon’s safety guards had prevented officers from stepping into the principle constructing
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Yoon’s former defence minister and one in every of his shut associates, Kim Yong-hyun, tried to kill himself at a Seoul detention centre on Wednesday evening, however was stopped by correctional officers. He had been arrested on allegations of taking part in a key position in a riot and committing abuse of energy, changing into the primary individual formally arrested over the martial regulation decree
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The nation’s police chief and the top of Seoul’s metropolitan police have been additionally detained for sending their forces to the nationwide meeting. Lawmakers voted on Thursday to question the police chief and the justice minister.
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Yoon was banned from leaving the country on Monday, and on Tuesday authorities banned extra senior officers from leaving, together with Cho Ji-ho, the commissioner basic of the Korean Nationwide Police Company. Already below a journey ban have been the previous defence and inside ministers and the martial regulation commander, Gen Park An-su.
