South Korea’s ruling party leader appears to throw weight behind presidential impeachment efforts in dramatic reversal

The head of South Korea’s ruling party said Friday it is necessary to suspend the president’s constitutional powers and suggested the party would change its earlier opposition to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment over his declaration of martial law.

The People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon told reporters on Friday that he had received “credible evidence” that Yoon had attempted to use troops to arrest key political figures “under the pretext of them being anti-state forces” during the president’s short-lived martial decree on Tuesday evening.

“Yesterday, I stated that I would work to prevent the passage of this impeachment motion to avoid unprepared chaos and harm to the people and our supporters. However, in light of these newly emerging facts, I have concluded that it is necessary to suspend President Yoon Suk Yeol’s powers promptly to protect South Korea and its people,” Han said, compounding the pressure building on the country’s leader ahead of a looming impeachment vote in parliament.

“If President Yoon continues to hold the presidency, there is a significant risk that extreme actions like this martial law declaration could be repeated, putting South Korea and its citizens in grave danger,” Han added. “I firmly believe that now is the time to think solely of South Korea and its people.”

Han, who has vocally criticized the president over his unexpected decree, said he met with Yoon on Wednesday and told him that what happened Tuesday evening had “left a big scar on Korea and our party.”

Some South Korean lawmakers have been camping out in the parliamentary building since Tuesday evening amid fears that Yoon could potentially declare martial law again, after plunging the country into political chaos and uncertainty after his declaration, which lasted just six hours, earlier in the week.

Yoon faces growing calls to resign as lawmakers debate moving forward on a motion to impeach the president, with a vote expected in the next two days.

Under the South Korean constitution, an impeachment motion must be approved by two thirds of the 300-person legislature to pass onto consideration in one of the country’s highest courts, the Constitutional Court. The Democratic Party, minor opposition parties and independents have a combined 192 seats, meaning they would need the support of at least eight members of Yoon’s People Power Party to pass the motion.