Uncertainty looms over Yoon's plans to delegate power to party

President Yoon Suk Yeol's announcement Saturday that he would let the ruling party manage state affairs, and the subsequent failure of the impeachment motion, might have brought a sigh of relief from the ruling bloc. But widespread disruption will likely follow, as the Yoon administration and the National Assembly have already become dysfunctional. Key policy initiatives, such as Yoon's efforts to address social polarization and tackle the population crisis, now appear increasingly imp

Dec. 7, 2024

Who are the ruling party lawmakers who voted on Yoon's impeachment?

In a dramatic turn of events during the Dec. 7 National Assembly vote on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment motion, all but one member of the ruling People Power Party vacated the chamber in a boycott. The motion is likely to fail to pass due to a lack of quorum. Only Ahn Cheol-soo remained among the ruling party members to cast a vote. However, two more lawmakers from the ruling party -- Kim Yea-ji, and Kim Sang-wook -- chose to return and cast their votes. Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, a three-

Dec. 7, 2024

Motion to impeach Yoon Suk Yeol scrapped

The motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol for his declaration of martial law earlier this week was scrapped Saturday, after his ruling party defended the embattled leader by refusing to vote. Even if Yoon has officially avoided impeachment, political turmoil is projected to continue, with the main opposition pledging to repeatedly submit impeachment motions until Yoon is suspended. The motion was defeated in Saturday's plenary session, after failing to secure the required two-thirds maj

Dec. 7, 2024

Ruling party floor leader expected to announce resignation

Ruling People Power Party Rep. Choo Kyung-ho announced Saturday to step down from his position as the party's floor leader. The announcement came, during a general meeting of ruling party lawmakers, after the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol was scrapped following its failure to pass the Assembly. The impeachment motion requires at least two-thirds of the 300-member Assembly to vote in favor to pass. Choo was among 105 People Power Party lawmakers who boycotted the vote b

Dec. 7, 2024

Ex-No. 2 at NIS accuses chief of condoning martial law

Hong Jang-won, the former first deputy director of the National Intelligence Service, claims he was snubbed when he informed Cho Tae-yong, the NIS director, that President Yoon Suk Yeol asked for the spy agency to cooperate with the military in arresting political leaders on the night of martial law. Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Park Sun-won on Saturday shared with reporters the text of a KakaoTalk messenger conversation he had with Hong earlier the same day, in which the former NIS deputy dir

Dec. 7, 2024

Bill to investigate Kim Keon Hee fails to pass

The National Assembly on Saturday failed to pass a special counsel bill to investigate multiple allegations against first lady Kim Keon Hee, including election meddling, leakage of classified information and stock manipulation. The National Assembly voted 198-102 in favor of the bill, once again falling short of the two-thirds threshold required of all lawmakers present to approve the measure. All 300 lawmakers were present and none of them abstained from voting. The revote took place just befor

Dec. 7, 2024

[Breaking] Majority of ruling party lawmakers exit after vote on first lady probe

A majority of ruling People Power Party lawmakers have left the main chamber of the National Assembly after voting on the bill for a special counsel probe into the first lady, in line with the party’s position of boycotting the vote on the motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol. Despite the ruling party’s stance, some lawmakers, including Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, remained in their seats in the main chamber. More news to follow.

Dec. 7, 2024

Ahn Cheol-soo says will back impeachment unless Yoon outlines resignation plan

Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, a three-time presidential candidate and member of the ruling People Power Party, announced his support for a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, breaking from his party's official stance. As the party reportedly leans toward going against the vote set to be held Saturday afternoon, Ahn urged President Yoon and the party to set a timeline for his resignation and propose a plan for forming a neutral national unity cabinet. "Now that President Yoon has entrusted

Dec. 7, 2024

Biggest labor groups call for Yoon Suk Yeol's 'immediate' impeachment

Korea’s two largest labor unions sharply criticized President Yoon Suk Yeol’s Saturday morning public address, demanding his immediate impeachment. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, with some 1.09 million members, released a statement following the address. It declared, “An apology cannot excuse the crime of rebellion,” and called for Yoon’s immediate impeachment and arrest. “The president must face legal consequences for treason, and the National Asse

Dec. 7, 2024

Conservative professors, ex-diplomats oppose President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment

Conservative groups of professors and former diplomats separately issued statements on Saturday to oppose the impeachment of the embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol, who came under fire after declaring martial law this week. A right-leaning group of former diplomats, comprising some 230 members, claimed the impeachment motion was illegitimate, having been written without much consideration in only half a day. “Impeachment is not a political decision but a constitutional mechanism that requir

Dec. 7, 2024

[Exclusive] Capital Defense Command meant to protect Seoul was strong choice to detain top lawmakers: source

The team allegedly tasked with arresting top lawmakers after Tuesday’s short-lived martial law declaration heavily weighed detaining them at the military command whose job is to protect the capital from outside attack, according to a military source. The source with direct knowledge of the matter said the military police compound at the Capital Defense Command, in Seoul’s southern Gwanak-gu, was considered to be a strong choice option for holding the detainees. Calling for Yoon&rsquo

Dec. 7, 2024

Early end to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s term unavoidable: ruling party chief

Han Dong-hoon, the leader of the ruling People Power Party, said Saturday an early end to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s term was “unavoidable,” but he did not specifically mention impeachment. Speaking to reporters immediately after Yoon’s address to the nation at 10 a.m., Han said the president was “in a situation where he is unable to perform his normal duties as a president.” “An early end to the president’s term appears unavoidable,” he said.

Dec. 7, 2024

Opposition leader 'disappointed' by Yoon Suk Yeol's address, presses Yoon to step down

Opposition leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung expressed disappointment Saturday over President Yoon Suk Yeol's televised apology at 10 a.m. the same day, in which he said he would entrust power to his party. "I was extremely disappointed," said Lee, who leads the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, adding Yoon's address "did not meet the expectation of the ordinary people at all, and was rather feeding ordinary people's anger." He also said the existence of the i

Dec. 7, 2024

Full text of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's address to the nation

Below is a full, unofficial translation of President Yoon Suk Yeol's statement issued on Saturday, pledging to entrust his power to the ruling party and not to declare martial law again. Dear fellow citizens. I declared martial law at 11 p.m. on Dec. 3. About two hours later, around 1 a.m. on Dec. 4, in accordance with the National Assembly's resolution to nullify martial law declaration, I ordered the military forces to withdraw and lifted martial law after a late-night Cabinet meetin

Dec. 7, 2024

President Yoon Suk Yeol says will entrust state affairs to ruling party

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday apologized to the South Korean people for the public concern he caused by declaring martial law. In a televised address to the nation, he said he would entrust the running of the country to the ruling party and the government. Yoon also promised that there would not be another declaration of martial law. "I imposed martial law at 11 p.m. on Dec. 3 and ordered troops to leave and lifted it in a Cabinet meeting at around 1 a.m. Wednesday after the parliamen

Dec. 7, 2024

[Breaking] Yoon to deliver address to nation

President Yoon Suk Yeol will deliver an address to the nation at 10 a.m. Saturday, four days after he declared martial law Tuesday.

Dec. 7, 2024

Impeachment vote set at 5 p.m. Saturday: Democratic Party

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Friday announced the motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol will be put to a vote at 5 p.m. on Saturday, two hours before the original timeline. Rep. Park Seong-jun of the main opposition pointed out the decision was made in regards to the possible People Power Party’s strategy to postpone the voting procedures, according to local news reports on Friday night. South Korea’s six opposition parties, including the Democratic Party of K

Dec. 6, 2024

Girls’ Generation 2007 song resurfaces as protest anthem

Who could have imagined that a K-pop debut track from 2007 would evolve into a rallying cry for political change? “Into the New World,” the debut single by Girls’ Generation, has reemerged as a protest anthem amid South Korea’s growing discontent with President Yoon Suk Yeol after he declared the ill-fated martial law earlier this week. On Thursday, the song was sung across candlelit rallies on the steps of the National Assembly in Seoul, where demonstrators waved flags a

Dec. 6, 2024

Impeachment history offers clues to Yoon’s political fate, future course

South Korea's 20th president, Yoon Suk Yeol, has become the country's third leader to face impeachment proceedings in the National Assembly, following former Presidents Park Geun-hye and Roh Moo-hyun. As Yoon's political future hangs in the balance, the contrasting outcomes of Park and Roh's cases provide a framework for understanding how things might pan out. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea and its allied parties plan to bring the impeachment motion against Yoo

Dec. 6, 2024

Why did martial law troops go to National Election Commission?

The rapid deployment of troops to the National Election Commission in the chaotic first minutes of martial law declared by President Yoon Suk Yeol late Tuesday night has raised suspicions in South Korea. On Thursday, firsthand accounts -- including from individuals directly involved -- emerged, suggesting the deployment had been tied to a conspiracy theory that the April 10 general election had been rigged. The main opposition party had won a landslide victory, securing the majority in the par

Dec. 6, 2024