South Korean parliamentary lawyers are seeking the removal of President Yoon Suk Yeol over his declaration of martial law, which they compared to dictatorial actions in the final arguments of his impeachment trial. Yoon faces being removed from office less than three years into his presidency if the Constitutional Court upholds parliament’s impeachment, which accused him of imposing martial law without constitutional grounds. The lawyers argued that Yoon wanted to reign over the constitution and create a world where his every word would be law, similar to autocratic leaders in South Korean history. They also criticized Yoon’s allegations of election fraud as conspiracy theories that damaged the credibility of the election system.
Yoon, who rescinded the martial law decree after just six hours, defended his actions by claiming he was warning of potential abuse of parliamentary power by the opposition Democratic Party. However, his arguments were met with skepticism from parliament, which raised concerns about his ability to judge national emergencies and the potential for him to impose martial law again if reinstated. Yoon is currently in detention due to a separate criminal case charging him with leading an insurrection, making him the first sitting president to face a criminal trial.
The Constitutional Court is expected to take days to rule on Yoon’s impeachment, with a decision needing to be made within six months of the case being registered in December. If Yoon is removed from office, a new presidential election must be held within 60 days. Former President Park Geun-hye was removed from office in a similar process in 2017.
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