Support for Impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol Grows in South Korea
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Synopsis
A recent survey indicates that nearly 60% of South Koreans favor the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol due to his brief martial law declaration. As the Constitutional Court prepares to make its decision, public trust in the court appears to be declining.
Key Takeaways
- Close to 60% support impeachment of Yoon.
- Survey shows 57% favor impeachment.
- Trust in Constitutional Court diminishes.
- Yoon detained amid ongoing legal proceedings.
- Trial to determine impeachment status is ongoing.
Seoul, Feb 14 (NationPress) Close to 60% of South Koreans are in favor of impeaching President Yoon Suk Yeol due to his brief martial law declaration, according to a recent survey released on Friday. The Constitutional Court is nearing a decision on whether to officially remove him from office or restore his position.
The survey, conducted by Gallup with 1,004 adults aged over 18 from Tuesday to Thursday, found that 57% supported Yoon's impeachment, a slight decrease of 2 percentage points from the previous week.
Respondents cited Yoon's imposition of martial law, constitutional violations, and insurrection as their primary reasons.
On the other hand, 38% of those surveyed opposed the impeachment.
The same poll indicated that 52% of participants expressed trust in the Constitutional Court, down 5 percentage points from the previous month, while distrust rose to 40%, an increase of 9 percentage points.
The pollster noted these figures reflected a growing lack of confidence in the Constitutional Court, particularly among supporters of the ruling People Power Party and conservatives.
Currently, Yoon is being held at the Seoul Detention Centre located in Uiwang, just south of the capital.
A trial at the Constitutional Court is underway to decide whether to uphold or reject his impeachment by the National Assembly.
If the impeachment is upheld, Yoon will be removed, prompting a snap presidential election within 60 days. If dismissed, he will return to office.
The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points with a 95% confidence level, as reported by the Yonhap news agency.
Earlier on Thursday, the Constitutional Court announced it would conduct an additional hearing for President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment trial next week.
The ninth formal hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday, during which Yoon's legal team and representatives from the National Assembly will present arguments for two hours each.
The National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon following his unexpected, albeit brief, imposition of martial law on December 3. He faces charges of instigating an insurrection and has already been arrested.
Additionally, Yoon is accused of deploying military personnel to the National Assembly to impede lawmakers from voting against the martial law declaration and allegedly planning to detain key political figures.
