South Koreans spent another anxious day on Friday, waiting to hear about the fate of their president as the impeachment vote loomed.
Reports surfaced in the afternoon suggesting that President Yoon was heading to parliament, but his office quickly denied these claims. Meanwhile, opposition lawmakers gathered outside the assembly, chanting “impeach, impeach” to block entry.
Earlier, special forces commander Kwak Jong-kuen had reassured parliament that he would refuse to follow any orders to implement martial law again, as some had feared might happen. On Tuesday night, Kwak stated that he had rejected orders to remove MPs from the assembly floor when they were preparing to vote down the martial law declaration.
“I ordered the soldiers not to enter the floor… I instructed them not to use live ammunition and to ensure no harm came to civilians,” he explained.
The situation escalated as South Korea’s political parties held emergency meetings throughout the day, with MPs preparing to bring a vote for impeachment. The motion, scheduled for Saturday, will pass if two-thirds of MPs vote in favor. Later in the day, Kwak and two other commanders were suspended for executing the martial law orders before they were revoked.
Yoon’s attempt to declare martial law stunned the nation and rattled both South Korea’s allies and financial markets. He initially cited threats from “anti-state forces” and North Korea, but it quickly became apparent that his actions were more likely driven by internal political issues rather than external dangers.
The martial law order was abruptly reversed a few hours later after 190 MPs succeeded in entering parliament to vote it down, with some even climbing fences and breaking barricades to reach the chamber.
Opposition lawmakers are concerned that Yoon may attempt to impose martial law again. Some have stated that they’ve been staying close to the National Assembly grounds, ready to block any further declarations. Protests demanding Yoon’s resignation have been ongoing in Seoul for over two days, and police confirmed that Yoon is under investigation for “insurrection.”
According to South Korean media reports, citizens have been inundating members of the ruling People Power Party with text messages urging them to vote for Yoon’s impeachment. One MP, Shin Sung-bum, reportedly received over 4,000 such messages on Facebook.
Cho Kyung-tae, the first ruling party MP to publicly support Yoon’s impeachment, stated on Friday, “The choice between standing with the people by suspending the president’s duties or becoming an ally of the forces that imposed martial law is one that politicians must judge.” He expressed hope that all members of the People Power Party would stand with the people.
A recent survey by Realmeter revealed that more than 70% of South Koreans support impeachment. Yoon has not been seen or heard from publicly since reversing the martial law order on Wednesday. A poll conducted earlier this week shows his approval rating has plummeted to a record low of 13%.
Even before attempting to impose military rule, Yoon had been facing low popularity ratings, corruption allegations, and an opposition-led legislature, which had already weakened his influence.
