TAIPEI, Taiwan – North Korea’s state media said on Monday South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol told lies about a threat to his country to justify his “foolish” declaration of martial law, which it said had backfired and resulted in his impeachment.
South Korea’s National Assembly voted on Saturday to impeach Yoon over his botched imposition of martial law on Dec. 3, which he said at the time was necessary because of “threats from North Korea” and “anti-state activities” by the domestic political opposition.
The declaration of martial law sparked immediate protest by the public and parliament rejected the declaration after only a few hours, forcing Yoon to back-track on the order and rescind it.
The North’s state-run Korea Central News Agency, or KCNA, said on Monday Yoon had made a statement “spliced with lies and obstinacy” that had “sparked off stronger rebuff and resentment of the political and public circles.”
“The puppet shifted the responsibility for the foolish emergency martial law declaration onto the opposition parties and the ‘threat’ from someone,” said the KCNA.
KCNA did not specify that Yoon had said the “threat” came from North Korea.
“The impeachment motion against the puppet Yoon Suk Yeol was approved in the puppet ROK on Saturday,” the news agency added, calling South Korea its official name, the Republic of Korea.
“The puppet Constitutional Court will finally decide the impeachment,” it said.
South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has assumed the role of acting president while the Constitutional Court has 180 days to decide whether to reinstate Yoon him or remove him from office.
If he is removed, South Korea will hold an election for a new president.
KCNA provided details on the events leading to the impeachment, highlighting a televised address Yoon made last Thursday, when he defended the martial law decree as a legitimate act of governance and denied the insurrection charges against him.
The KCNA report also covered the ruling party’s decision to boycott an initial impeachment motion, while it noted that several senior military and police officials had been detained and suspended from their roles as part of the martial law investigation, labelling Yoon as “the ringleader of rebellion.”
The main opposition Democratic Party and five other minor opposition parties, introduced a second impeachment motion, accusing Yoon of violating the Constitution and other laws by declaring martial law.
The second motion passed with a vote of 204 in favor and 85 against, with three abstentions and eight invalid ballots, as all South Korean 300 lawmakers cast their votes.
If the impeachment motion is upheld, Yoon will become the second president in South Korea’s history to be removed from office, following former President Park Geun-hye’s ouster in 2017 over corruption.
Acting President Han spoke to U.S. President Joe Biden to assure South Korea’s most important ally that there would be no disruption to security arrangements.
“South Korea will carry out its foreign and security policies without disruption and strive to ensure the South Korea-U.S. alliance is maintained and developed steadfastly,” Han said, according to his office.
Biden told Han the ironclad U.S.-South Korea alliance remained unchanged and Washington would work with Seoul to develop and strengthen the alliance as well as trilateral cooperation including neighbour Japan, said Han’s office.
RELATED STORIES
South Korea votes to impeach President Yoon over failed martial law bid
North Korea calls South’s martial law declaration ‘shocking’ in first reaction
South Korea’s president lifts martial law hours after declaring it
Neighbors’ reactions
Japan would continue to communicate closely with South Korea, said Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi.
“South Korea is an important neighbor with which we must cooperate on many international issues, and the importance of ROK-Japan relations in the current strategic environment remains unchanged,” said Hayashi on Monday.
China had not commented on Yoon’s impeachment by the time of publication, but its foreign ministry said Thursday it was “deeply surprised and dissatisfied” about remarks Yoon made on suspected Chinese spying in the South.
While defending his botched martial law declaration, Yoon said on Thursday that opposition parties blocked a revision to anti-espionage laws despite two separate instances in which Chinese nationals filmed South Korean military installations and the National Intelligence Service.
Edited by RFA Staff.