Experts say the declaration of martial law was a mistake by the South Korean president

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s surprising short-term move to announce martial lawwhich drew condemnation from opposition lawmakers, rooting out “anti-state” forces was “nonsense” and perhaps an attempt to “make sure of themselves”, an expert says.

Opposition parties proposed impeachment against the president on Wednesday, which would require the support of two-thirds of the 300-member parliament and at least six judges of the nine-member constitutional court. The motion for impeachment has been submitted by the liberal opposition Democratic Party and five smaller opposition parties, and could be voted on as early as Friday.

“I think he tried, even desperately, to convince himself to tell his domestic enemies that he is a responsible man, and this will have consequences for the opposition parties’ efforts to stifle Yeon’s many reform programs,” Sung-Yoon Lee said. a global fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., and author of Sister: North Korea’s Kim Yo-yong, the World’s Most Dangerous Woman. Fox News Digital.

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South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol waves as he arrives to address a joint session of Congress on Thursday, April 27, 2023, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

“But I think it was a mistake, maybe a legal violation and certainly something like a political goal,” he added, referring to the notion of something a person does thinking it will help him or her but will actually cause harm. .

The declaration of martial law lasted just six hours, but sent shockwaves across the country, citing South Korea’s past. militarily supported governments, when the authorities occasionally declared martial law and other decrees that allowed them to deploy soldiers, tanks and armored vehicles on the streets or in public places such as schools to prevent anti-government demonstrations.

People hold candles during a candlelight vigil against South Korean President Yon Suk Yeol in Seoul, South Korea after he declared martial law. (AP Photo/Lee ​​Jin-man)

At the end of the eighties, democracy was achieved in the country. No major violence was reported, and martial law was lifted after lawmakers rejected the move 190-0.

In a speech announcing the declaration, Yoon vowed to eliminate anti-government forces while accusing the opposition of sympathizing North Korea. The North, a totalitarian state, would use what happened in the South to its advantage, Lee said.

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People watch a television screen showing South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s televised briefing at a bus terminal in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

“I’m sure the North Korean leadership is sharpening their knives right now,” he said. “It would be very atypical, unusual, for North Korea to just sit back and let such a sensational, breath-taking crisis in South Korea disappear.”

Lee expects the North to make provocative statements, resort to hostile acts, and blame Yun for its “militantism” and argue that the backlash against him is a reaction to his hostility toward its northern neighbor.

If Yun is impeached, Prime Minister Han Dak-soo, who is second in command in South Korea’s government, would take over as president. Currently, the Constitutional Court has only six judges after three retire, meaning all six would have to vote for impeachment to remove Jonah from office.

Four of the six judges are Yoon appointees.

In this photo taken on May 9, 2023, South Korean soldiers walk in the truce village of the Panmunjom Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in the Joint Security Area (JSA) that separates North and South Korea, with a view of North Korea’s Panmunjom Hall. background. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images)

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“It remains to be seen whether the constitutional court, if we get to that point, will actually support, allow the impeachment and removal of President Yoon, but it is a possibility,” Lee said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.