The South Korean president’s party refuses to support his removal despite criticizing martial law

MADRID Dec. 4 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The People’s Power Party (PPP) of the president of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, has refused this Wednesday to vote in favor of the impeachment motion presented by the opposition parties in Parliament despite the fact that members of his own party They have criticized the decision taken on Tuesday by the president to declare martial law, a measure that was later revoked by the National Assembly of the Asian country.

The party has indicated in a statement that the deputies have decided to “bend and join the party line, so they will vote against the dismissal of President Yoon.”

This was decided during a meeting attended by the party’s deputies, some of whom criticized the position of Yoon, who accused the opposition on Tuesday of showing a position “friendly to North Korea.” “We cannot accept the impeachment process,” said a senior party official in statements to the South Korean news agency Yonhap.

His words come after six opposition parties, including the Democratic Party, presented the motion to Parliament, which is scheduled to be put to a vote this Friday or Saturday and could lead to Yoon’s removal as president of the country.

For the measure to go ahead, the support of two-thirds of the Lower House is necessary, which means the vote in favor of 200 of the 300 deputies. For the vote to be valid, more than half of the parliamentarians must be present.

Currently, the PPP has 108 seats compared to the opposition’s 192 deputies. If all the deputies of the government party vote against the motion, the initiative will be rejected.

Yoon announced martial law in an unexpected address to the nation in which he accused the opposition of sympathizing with North Korea after opponents – who have a majority in Parliament – pushed forward a budget measure and presented motions of dismissal against several senior officials.