South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s political future appears increasingly shaky following a short-lived attempt to impose martial law on the country.
The country’s largest trade union group declared that members would go on strike until Yoon gave up his post, protesters echoing the same call.
On the president’s side, the scenario is not very different.
What happens if he resigns?
If Yoon resigns, impeachment will become unnecessary, analysts explained to CNN. An election must be held within 60 days.
What if he doesn’t abdicate?
He might lose power anyway. Six opposition parties.
The main opposition party, the Democratic Party, also announced that it was formalizing plans to charge treason against Yoon and the defense and interior ministers.
What happens next?
The bill must be reported to the plenary session of the National Assembly on Thursday (5), with the vote scheduled for Friday or Saturday (7).
Under the South Korean constitution, impeachment must be proposed by a parliamentary majority within 72 hours after the motion is reported to the plenary session, and approved by two-thirds of the 300-person legislature.
The Democratic Party, smaller opposition parties and independents have a total of 192 seats, meaning they would still need the support of at least eight members of Yoon’s People Power Party to pass the motion.
The proposal would then go to the Constitutional Court, where at least six of the court’s nine judges must agree to proceed with impeachment.
But the court currently has just six sitting justices, which is one short of the minimum needed to finalize the presidential impeachment request, requiring lawmakers to nominate at least one new justice to proceed.
If the impeachment is approved by the National Assembly, the court must reach a final decision within six months, analysts said. CNN.
If the court proceeds with impeachment?
The president would be suspended from exercising his power until the case is judged, following the South Korean constitution.
During the legal process, , a career politician who is serving in office for the second time.
If impeachment is upheld and the president is removed from office, the government must hold elections within 60 days.
Possible scenario
Another option would be for the president to shorten his term through negotiations with the opposition, but this seems unlikely.
