Ruling party leader says South Korea’s president must be suspended from office as soon as possible | Real Time Headlines

The leader of South Korea’s ruling party said on Friday that President Yoon Seok-yeol needed to be removed from office for national security for trying to impose martial law, but he stopped short of urging party members to vote for impeachment.

Yoon shocked the country and his ruling People’s Power party on Tuesday by declaring martial law to root out “anti-state forces” and overcome obstructionist political opponents.

He changed his position about six hours later, after parliament, including some members of his own party, voted against the decree.

After a party meeting in parliament on Friday, party leader Han Dong-hoon said Yoon Eun-hye had ordered the arrests of prominent politicians on the grounds that they were “anti-national forces” during martial law.

The main opposition Democratic Party is scheduled to hold an impeachment vote on Saturday night, and national police have launched an investigation into Yoon over accusations of rebellion by opposition parties and activists.

On Thursday, the ruling party said it opposed impeachment, but Han said the position could change in light of “credible evidence” that Yoon planned to arrest and detain political leaders in Gwacheon, south of Seoul.

“I said yesterday that I would try not to pass this impeachment to prevent unprepared chaos from causing damage to the people and supporters, but I believe that President Yoon Seok-yeol’s immediate suspension is necessary to protect the Republic of Korea and South Korea.” people based on the newly disclosed facts,” Han said.

When asked for clarification, he did not explicitly call for impeachment or respond to reporters.

Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung said the declaration of martial law was an insurgency launched by the president to maintain or expand his power.

“This is an act of rebellion,” he said. “This is a pro-military coup.”