Anchor: Amid the aftershocks from President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law decree and its subsequent lifting, the opposition bloc has decided to vote on a motion to impeach Yoon on Saturday, and also hold a revote on a separate bill to launch a special counsel investigation targeting first lady Kim Keon-hee. The ruling camp, while censuring Yoon’s actions, has pledged to try to block the impeachment motion.
Koo Heejin gives us the details.

Report: The main opposition Democratic Party’s motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol will be put to a vote at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Party spokesperson Jo Seoung-lae told reporters on Thursday that the vote will take place Saturday in a plenary session at the National Assembly.

The party also plans to pursue a revote on Saturday for its bill to launch a special counsel investigation targeting first lady Kim Keon-hee, who faces allegations concerning stock manipulation and interfering in party candidate nominations, after the president vetoed the legislation.

Initially, the Democratic Party considered holding the impeachment vote as early as Friday and the revote on December 10, but observers say dealing with both matters the same day is a strategic move to draw ruling People Power Party lawmakers to the parliament.

The impeachment motion can only pass with support from 200 of the 300 lawmakers in the National Assembly, meaning at least eight ruling party lawmakers would be required.   

Meanwhile, ruling People Power Party Chair Han Dong-hoon said Thursday that his party will strive to prevent the National Assembly from passing the bill to impeach the president as it would cause chaos, harming the public interest.

Still, Han stressed during the party’s Supreme Council meeting that he was not defending the president’s unconstitutional martial law decree, and he repeated his earlier calls for the president to leave the party.

Unlike the impeachment motion, the special counsel bill only requires a majority of the lawmakers present, with two-thirds of those present voting in favor, meaning the opposition can push it through if the ruling party boycotts the proceedings.

To block the special counsel bill, enough lawmakers from the ruling party will need to attend the session and publicly take a stand on the impeachment motion.
Koo Heejin, KBS World Radio News.