By Josh Smith
SEOUL (Reuters) – When South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial legislation, lawmakers from the principle opposition occasion raced particular forces troopers to the parliament constructing to carry a vote towards the measures.
Now the identical politicians who climbed the compound’s partitions on Tuesday to keep away from safety cordons are spearheading an effort to question and examine Yoon and his high ministers over the martial legislation bid.
Lee Jae-myung, 60, head of the principle opposition Democratic Occasion (DP), narrowly misplaced the 2022 presidential vote to Yoon and has since gone on to have an acrimonious relationship with the president.
On Tuesday Lee and Nationwide Meeting Speaker Woo Gained-shik, 67, have been amongst lawmakers who scaled fences after masked troopers tried to dam entry to parliament following a defence ministry decree banning exercise by parliament and political events.
Lee livestreamed his exploit, urging viewers to return to the parliament constructing and display to stop the arrest of lawmakers.
“It’s up to our citizens to protect this country,” he stated. “We will also risk our lives to protect the democracy of this country.”
Shortly earlier than midnight Woo, a former DP member who’s technically impartial underneath the foundations governing the speaker’s position, convened a session with 190 members of the 300-strong parliament who had gathered.
Ten minutes later they voted unanimously to oppose the martial legislation declaration, and at 4:30 a.m. Yoon relented and stated he would carry the state of martial legislation.
On Saturday Lee’s occasion plans to carry a vote on a movement to question Yoon, and has requested prosecutors to research the president and key ministers for his or her position within the matter.
If Yoon is compelled from workplace, Lee is seen as a high contender within the snap election that may be referred to as.
A populist outsider and former governor of essentially the most populous province in South Korea, Lee has been beset by his personal authorized troubles and scandals.
On November 15, a court docket convicted Lee of violating the election legislation, handing him a one-year jail time period suspended for 2 years, a penalty that if upheld may jeopardise his bid to run for president. Lee stated he would attraction.
Ten days later he was cleared of one other cost of getting compelled a witness to commit perjury, however nonetheless faces a number of different trials on issues starting from bribery to fees principally tied to a $1-billion property growth scandal.
