South Korea president survives impeachment attempt in National Assembly News
U.S. Secretary of Defense, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
South Korea president survives impeachment attempt in National Assembly

An impeachment motion against South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol failed to proceed in the country’s National Assembly on Saturday after the session fell short of the required quorum. Only 195 members were present at the session, below the two-thirds threshold of 200 lawmakers needed to initiate the impeachment process.

The motion came in response to Yoon’s controversial martial law declaration earlier this week. The impeachment initiative was based on Article 66 of the South Korean Constitution, which allows for presidential impeachment when the leader violates “the Constitution or other laws in the performance of official duties.” Opposition lawmakers argued that Yoon’s declaration violated Article 77 of the Constitution, which specifically regulates martial law declarations by limiting them to times of war, armed conflict, or other national emergencies. The opposition accused the president of imposing martial law “with the unconstitutional and illegal intent to evade imminent investigations into alleged illegal acts involving himself and his family,” as quoted by AFP.

The short-lived martial law order, issued late Tuesday around 10:30 PM and lifted early Wednesday at 4:30 AM, banned political activities and demonstrations while ordering striking doctors to return to work within 48 hours. Military officials reported chaotic conditions during the six-hour period, with many learning about the order only through news reports or Yoon’s surprise TV address.

“I deeply regret this and sincerely apologize to the citizens who were alarmed,” Yoon said in a televised address Saturday morning, according to VOA News. He claimed the declaration “stemmed from the urgency” he felt as president but acknowledged it “caused anxiety and inconvenience to the public.” The president also announced he would not declare martial law again and accepted the resignation of Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who took responsibility for the crisis.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the opposition Democratic Party, called Yoon’s martial law attempt an “unconstitutional and illegal declaration” that caused chaos in a nation which “spent decades under military-authoritarian rule before transitioning into a vibrant democracy.” The crisis has also strained South Korea’s international relations, with the US-South Korea Nuclear Consultative Group meetings in Washington being postponed amid the turmoil.

Opposition lawmakers indicated they may launch another impeachment motion in the coming days.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Standard Oil incorporated

On January 10, 1870, John Davison Rockefeller incorporated Standard Oil. Rockefeller's corporation would grow to achieve a virtual monopoly over oil production in the United States. Standard Oil's dominance lasted until the corporation was split into 34 separate companies in 1911 after the Supreme Court found the company in violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. The rise of Standard Oil made Rockefeller America's first billionaire and eventually the richest man in the world. Read the text of Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey vs. United States, 221 U.S. 1 (1910).