South Korea: Main Opposition files motion to impeach Yoon over martial law declaration

Seoul, Dec 12 (IANS) South Korea's main Opposition Democratic Party (DP) introduced a new impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday over his failed bid to impose martial law, days after Yoon avoided impeachment because most ruling party lawmakers boycotted a vote.

The DP's move comes after a motion to impeach Yoon was scrapped on Saturday due to a lack of quorum as nearly all lawmakers from Yoon's ruling People Power Party (PPP) boycotted the vote. The second motion was co-sponsored by five other opposition parties.

Following the scrapping of the first motion, the DP said it will continue to push for Yoon's impeachment every week.

Like the first motion, the new motion listed as grounds for Yoon's impeachment his December 3 declaration of martial law, which the Opposition said was in violation of the Constitution and laws because it did not meet the requirements.

The DP plans to report the motion to a plenary session Friday and put it a vote at 5 p.m, on Saturday.

By law, an impeachment motion must be put to a vote between 24 and 72 hours after it is reported to a plenary session.

An impeachment motion also requires the support of at least two-thirds of the 300-member Assembly in order to pass.

The Opposition bloc comprises 192 lawmakers, meaning the motion would pass with support from only eight of the 108 PPP lawmakers, Yonhap news agency reported.

As of Thursday, seven PPP lawmakers had publicly voiced their support for Yoon's impeachment.

The National Assembly Secretariat said it plans to fully restrict access to the parliament by external visitors on Friday and Saturday during the impeachment-related proceedings.

"All events involving external participants within the National Assembly premises will also be prohibited," the secretariat said, adding that only those with employee ID or an access pass will be allowed entry.

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