By Andres Sanchez Braun
Seoul, Dec 5 (EFE).- People on the streets of South Korea were almost unanimous that President Yoon Suk-yeol had to step down or be removed from office after he unsuccessfully tried to put the country under martial law earlier this week.
“I was very surprised by what happened, and I didn’t think something like that could happen in a developed country like this; but luckily people acted quickly. Even so, I am very worried about the situation,” a manager of an agency, who asked not to be named, told EFE in Seoul.
On Dec. 3, Yoon’s sudden declaration of martial law at around 10.30 p.m. in a televised address caught people by surprise.
“I was at home reading a book and suddenly my boyfriend told me that Yoon had proclaimed martial law,” Lee Ji-heon, a graphic designer in her thirties who lives in the South Korean capital, told EFE.
“At first I couldn’t believe it because the last time this happened was decades ago and I felt like we were suddenly under a military dictatorship again,” she added.
Cha Mi-jung, a 35-year-old banking employee, told EFE she was sure that martial law would not sustain as the politicians would repeal it.
“I believed in our politicians, I thought they were going to make the right decision about repealing martial law. I expected them to meet in the National Assembly to make the right decision and they did,” said Cha.
Within hours of Yoon’s proclamation, the National Assembly met and voted to overrule the president. The declaration was formally lifted around early Wednesday during a Cabinet meeting.
Now an overwhelming majority of South Koreans want their president to step down or be removed from office.
According to a survey by the firm Realmeter, more than 70 percent of the people in South Korea want Yoon to discontinue as president.
“I think he should be dismissed. And if they don’t dismiss him, then he should resign,” said Kim Hyo-jin, a woman who works at home taking care of her young daughter.
“First of all he should resign, but I don’t think that’s going to happen. So I hope the motion to remove him goes through,” Lee said of Saturday’s parliamentary session to impeach Yoon.
“I think he’s a very stubborn person and he really still thinks he did the right thing,” Lee underlined, adding that the president lived in a kind of a bubble, very disconnected from reality.
Cha claimed that the president was responsible for the chaos and crisis that unfolded and had to be held able.
As for possible elections, those consulted expressed uncertainty with no party or politician appearing to be a favorite to replace Yoon, reflecting the current political landscape in the Asian country.
“Right now I can’t think of any politician who is suitable to be president. I guess we should vote for the least bad of all,” Kim Hyo-jin said. EFE
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