SEOUL: South Korea’s opposition parties submitted a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday (Dec 4) after his declaration of martial law was blocked by lawmakers.
According to Yonhap news agency, the main opposition Democratic Party and five other minor opposition parties, including the Rebuilding Korea Party and Reform Party, submitted the motion to the bills office at the National Assembly at 2.43pm.
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The impeachment motion was signed by 190 opposition lawmakers and one independent lawmaker, with no support from any ruling party lawmakers.
The opposition parties plan to report the motion to a parliamentary plenary session on Thursday (Dec 5) and to put it up for a vote on Friday or Saturday (Dec 6 or 7).
By law, an impeachment motion must be put to a vote between 24 and 72 hours after the motion is reported to a plenary session.
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Yonhap quoted Shin Chang-sik of the Rebuilding Korea Party as saying the parties have not decided yet whether to vote "right away" or at some other time "within 72 hours."
The motion requires a two-thirds majority to pass. Of the 300-member National Assembly, the opposition will need eight votes from the ruling People Power Party. – Bernama/Yonhap
