Seoul, South Korea (Weltexpress). Lee Jae-myung, South Korea’s main opposition leader, criticized President Yoon Suk-yeol’s decision to declare martial law in the country earlier this week as “a coup attempt.”
“[The president] attempted to gain absolute power by becoming a monarch in a coup that, he believed, would make him a king,” KBS television quoted Lee Jae-myung as saying. In the 2022 presidential election, he lost to the incumbent president by a narrow margin.
“[Yoon Suk-yeol] sought to place all constitutional and state institutions under his control,” the opposition leader alleged.Earlier, police announced the launch of a probe into the accusations, from opposition lawmakers, of an attempted coup by the president. The presidential administration argued that the head of state’s actions were lawful.
On Tuesday evening, the South Korean leader declared martial law in order to fight what he said were pro-North Korean elements, a move that was lifted around six hours later. On December 4, the opposition initiated impeachment proceedings against Yoon Suk-yeol, saying that Yoon Suk-yeol violated the Constitution by declaring martial law without justification.
