South Korean police have opened an “insurrection” investigation into President Yoon Suk-Yeol and other top officials following a formal complaint from opposition lawmakers regarding his recently retracted martial law declaration, according to multiple reports.
Under South Korean law, presidential immunity does not extend to insurrection charges, which can carry the death penalty, AFP notes.
Yoon, who accepted his defense minister’s resignation earlier Thursday after the brief imposition of emergency martial law, now faces an impeachment vote expected by Saturday. He justified the declaration on Tuesday by citing concerns about “pro-North Korean” elements but rescinded the order about six hours later under pressure from his own party and a vote in the opposition-led legislature to revoke it.
The move sparked widespread protests, and opposition lawmakers filed a motion to impeach Yoon on Wednesday. While the floor leader of Yoon’s People Power Party stated that all of its lawmakers would oppose the measure, The Guardian reports that the bill needs support from at least eight ruling party members to pass.
