Dramatic fallout from South Korean president's short-lived martial law continues
A week on from South Korea's short-lived martial law, the fallout from President Yoon’s desperate and dangerous decisions continue to play out with a level of drama not even South Korea’s famed TV script writers could keep up with.
On Wednesday, the country’s two police chiefs were arrested, the defence minister forced to resign because of his role in the debacle tried to take his own life while in police detention, and Yoon Suk-Yeol remains in hiding, clinging on to power, apparently consulting with lawyers about how to avoid arrest.
Protests against Yoon have been growing by the day, thousands of people have filled the streets every evening pulsing to K-pop beats and cries for him to resign.
Another attempt to impeach the disgraced president is due to take place on Saturday.
The first attempt last weekend failed after the ruling People Power Party (PPP) boycotted the vote.
It appears a few of them may be willing to take part in the second round, but it’s unclear if the opposition parties have managed to appeal to the conscience of the eight PPP members required to pass the motion.
In the meantime, the prime minister and leader of the PPP, both unelected officials, have declared that Yoon is no longer involved in any State duties and that there will be a gradual removal of him from power.
But when asked by a journalist who is currently running the country, they responded there was “no official position on that.”
Without having resigned or being impeached, President Yoon remains Commander in Chief and could technically attempt a second coup, although he himself has promised not to give it another go.
He gave that reassurance during an apology on national television on Saturday and hasn’t been seen since.
The ruling PPP is desperately trying to stall on his impeachment, buying themselves time for an inevitable general election, which given recent events, and indeed months of political instability, they look likely to lose.
It leaves Asia’s fourth largest economy in constitutional chaos, the man responsible for it all willing to apologise, but not step down.
On Wednesday morning, police officers were sent to raid the presidential offices on charges of insurrection, in a dramatic escalation of their probe into Yoon.
The Justice Ministry has placed a travel ban on Yoon as he is investigated, making him the first sitting president to face an exit ban.
Yoon claims he declared martial law out of "desperation" as the opposition has obstructed functions of the government, but the opposition accuses him of violating the Constitution and other laws in the process of imposing the military rule.
The second series of Squid Game - a far-fetched survival thriller which has helped propel K-drama to a global audience - is set to hit screens later this month.
Until then, it’s K-Politics which has the country gripped: South Koreans fighting to preserve their democracy and many hoping the man who threatened it, will be made to pay.
The rest of the world, including regional and global allies, are watching and waiting, to see what happens next.
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