Joy over the weekend's news that South Korea's president may be on his way out is followed by clear demands from the country's opposition leaders.
President Yoon Suk-Yeol has currently been stripped of all political power after the national assembly voted on Saturday to bring impeachment charges against him. This follows the developments two weeks ago where the president decided to declare a short-lived martial law, which created a deep political crisis in the country.
The Constitutional Court now has 180 days to decide whether the president will be removed or reinstated in his post.
Wants to Limit Chaos
Opposition leader Lee Jae-Myung wants to see a swift and efficient process in court to minimize the risk of "further national confusion and suffering for the people".
In front of South Korean reporters, Lee also proposes the creation of a national council where the government and national assembly will cooperate across party lines. According to Lee, the opposition party will not demand that the president's temporary replacement, Prime Minister Han Duck-Soo, also be brought to trial despite demands from some quarters for this.
The party will actively cooperate with all other parties to stabilize the political situation and restore international confidence. The national assembly and government should cooperate to quickly resolve the crisis that has swept over South Korea, says the opposition leader.
Has Taken Months
It has happened twice before that a president has been brought to trial in South Korea. In the case of Roh Moo-Hyun in 2004, the Constitutional Court took 63 days to make an acquittal decision. In the case of Park Geun-Hye in 2016, it took 91 days before it was clear that she would be removed.
President Yoon Suk-Yeol's decision to declare a short-lived martial law nearly two weeks ago has led to a deepened political crisis in the country, which has been exacerbated by Yoon's refusal to leave his post.
The martial law was declared on the evening of December 3 and was withdrawn after six hours, since the national assembly defied it and gathered to vote it down.
The decision shocked the country and the world and reminded of the country's dark history with martial law and military rule half a century ago.
Large popular protests and strikes followed. The opposition tried to initiate an impeachment process against Yoon, who did not heed the calls for resignation. A first impeachment attempt on December 7 failed when the president's party colleagues did not show up.
The Minister of Defense, who supported the president in the decision, has been forced to resign.
