South Korea’s opposition chief urges top court to act swiftly on impeachment
Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung has spearheaded efforts to remove President Yoon from power over his martial law decision
South Korea’s opposition leader on Sunday urged the Constitutional Court to rule swiftly on a bid to remove President Yoon Suk-yeol from office, a day after parliament voted to impeach him over a short-lived attempt to impose martial law.
Yoon’s powers will be suspended until the court rules on the case, either removing him from office or restoring his powers. The court has up to 180 days to decide, and if he is dismissed, a national election to choose his successor must be held within 60 days.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the country’s No. 2 official, took over presidential powers late on Saturday. Han was appointed by Yoon, whose government has struggled to pass legislation in the opposition-controlled parliament.
Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the opposition Democratic Party, told reporters on Sunday that a swift ruling is the only way to minimise national chaos.
Lee also proposed the creation of a national council where the government and the National Assembly would work together to stabilise state affairs. He said bipartisan cooperation is essential to navigating the political paralysis that has halted high-level diplomacy and spooked financial markets since Yoon’s martial law decree.
