The South Korean prosecutor pointed out the President Yoon Suk Yeol as the target of a criminal investigation over his attempt to place the country under martial law last week, according to local media, and also for the arrest of the former Minister of Defense.
This made this Sunday (8) the leadership crisis in Korea of the South worsened.
The South Korean president managed to survive an impeachment vote in the opposition-led parliament late on Saturday (7).
The request was made after the attempt to impose martial law in the country on Tuesday (3).
Han Dong-hoon, leader of Yoon’s own party, declared that the president would be effectively removed from office before resigning.
The proposal, which appeared to receive tacit approval from the prime minister appointed by Yoon this Sunday (8), was condemned by opposition parliamentarians, who described it as yet another unconstitutional attempt to concentrate power by avoiding resignation or impeachment.
Also this Sunday, thousands of people protested in front of parliament in Seoul, calling for Yoon’s impeachment and arrest, in addition to the dissolution of the ruling party.
However, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik declared that it was unconstitutional to delegate presidential authority to the prime minister and the ruling party without impeachment.
Woo proposed a meeting between rival parties to discuss ways to immediately suspend Yoon’s presidential powers.
The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) called for the immediate suspension of Yoon’s presidential duties and for him to be stripped of the authority to control the armed forces.
The DP also called for the arrest of Yoon and military officials related to the martial law fiasco.
Failed decree
The president shocked the nation on Tuesday night (3) by granting the army broad emergency powers to combat what he called “anti-state forces” and obstructionist political opponents.
Yoon ended up revoking his own order six hours later, after parliament defied military and police cordons to vote unanimously against the decree.
Yonhap news agency reported that prosecutors “indicted” Yoon, in a process that in Korea of the South involves the formal appointment of research subjects.
Three opposition parties filed a complaint with the prosecutor’s office against the president, former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and martial law commander Park An-su, accusing them of insurrection.
The crime of leading an uprising is punishable by the death penalty or life imprisonment, with or without forced labor.
The prosecutor’s special investigation team arrested Kim this Sunday (8) and seized his cell phone, it said in a brief statement to reporters.
Before the arrest, investigators questioned Kim, who voluntarily appeared at the Seoul District Prosecutors’ Office on Sunday morning, the agency said.
This content was originally published in South Korean prosecutor opens criminal investigation against president on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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