South Korea: PPP leadership to visit former President Park Geun-hye ahead of Yoon impeachment ruling

Seoul(The Uttam Hindu):The leadership of the South Korea's ruling People Power Party (PPP) was set to pay a courtesy visit to former President Park Geun-hye on Monday, party officials said, ahead of the Constitutional Court's ruling on President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment. The top PPP members, led by Kwon Young-se, chief of the party's emergency steering committee, and its floor leader Kweon Seong-dong, will travel to the southeastern city of Daegu to meet Park at her home later in the day, party officials said.

The visit comes as the Constitutional Court is expected to deliver its final ruling on Yoon's impeachment over his December 3 martial law attempt later this month. If upheld, Yoon will be removed from office, and a snap presidential election will be held within 60 days. Park, who took office as president in 2013, was impeached and removed from office in March 2017 after the top court upheld her impeachment over an influence-peddling scandal involving her close associate, Choi Soon-sil.

In the meeting with Park, the PPP members were expected to discuss the current political situation surrounding Yoon's impeachment and listen to Park's opinions about the future direction of the party, among other issues. Some PPP officials said Park might send out a message to Yoon's supporters, urging unity until the impeachment ruling is delivered, Yonhap news agency reported. Meanwhile, the court capped the trial after 11 rounds, 73 days after the National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon over his short-lived imposition of martial law on December 3.

The impeachment motion accuses Yoon of violating the Constitution and laws by declaring martial law in the absence of a national emergency and ignoring due procedures, such as holding a Cabinet meeting and notifying the Parliament. Yoon has argued his declaration of martial law was an act of governance meant to send a warning to the Opposition party over its repeated impeachments of government officials and attempts to cut the government budget.

If Yoon, who was elected in May 2022 for a single, five-year term, is formally removed from office, a snap election will be held within 60 days. However, if the impeachment is dismissed, Yoon will immediately resume his duties.