South Koreans Would Be In 'Great Danger' If Yoon Remains In Power, Warns Ruling Party Chief
South Korea's ruling party leader Han Doong-hoon expressed concerns about President Yoon's actions, alleging potential harm to citizens.
South Korea's ruling party chief warned on Friday that citizens of the country will be in "great danger" if President Yoon Suk-yeol remains in power and called for the President to "suspend his duties soon."
Han Doong-hoon, the leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) also said that the party has received "credible evidence" that Yoon ordered the arrest of key politicians on "anti-state charges" when he imposed martial law on Tuesday, as per a BBC report.
The ruling party chief's comment came during an emergency party meeting on Friday and made a departure from his earlier stand that his party would block the impeachment motion bought by the opposition which was tabled on Wednesday.
The opposition would need eight lawmakers from the ruling party to back the impeachment motion for it to succeed.
Chaotic scenes ensued in South Korea on Tuesday after Yoon imposed martial law in a surprise announcement citing threats from "anti-state forces" and North Korea sending shockwaves across the country. However, the order was reversed hours later after 190 MPs managed to make it to the parliament and vote it down. Some MPs had to climb fences while others managed to break barricades to get into the chamber.
Expressing concerns, Han said the "extreme actions", such as martial law declaration could be repeated if Yoon stayed in office.
"[These are] putting the Republic of Korea and its people at great risk," he said. Han said his party learnt about plans to jail arrested opposition politicians in a detention centre in Gwacheon, a city south of Seoul.
Concerned over another attempt to impose martial law, some of the opposition lawmakers told BBC they have been staying close to the National Assembly grounds so they could get there quickly to vote down any such declaration.
Meanwhile, ruling party MP Cho Kyung-tae became the first lawmaker from the ruling party to publicly voice support for Yoon's impeachment.
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