'Significant risk': South Korean ruling party says president must go

South Korea's ruling party chief demanded on Friday that President Yoon Suk Yeol be stripped of office, warning there was a "significant risk" he could try to impose martial law again.

Yoon late Tuesday declared martial law before being forced into a U-turn after lawmakers dramatically faced down soldiers at parliament and voted to overturn the measure, as thousands protested outside.

"Considering the newly emerging facts, I believe that a swift suspension of President Yoon Suk Yeol's duties is necessary to safeguard the Republic of Korea and its people," said Han Dong-hoon, the head of Yoon's People Power Party, who only a day earlier had said he opposed Yoon's impeachment.

If Yoon remains, "there is a significant risk that extreme actions similar to the martial law declaration could be repeated, which could put the Republic of Korea and its citizens in great danger," Han said.

Han said that "credible evidence" suggested that Yoon had ordered the arrest of "key politicians" and for them to be placed in a holding facility.

Yoon "does not acknowledge that this illegal martial law is wrong" and has failed to act against the military officials who " illegally intervened", Han added.

The opposition bloc holds 192 seats in the 300-strong parliament, while the PPP has 108. A successful vote would suspend Yoon from office pending a ruling by the Constitutional Court .

According to media reports, Han was to meet the embattled president -- who has not been seen since the early hours of Wednesday -- on Friday.

Lawmaker Jo Seung-lae, a spokesperson for the main opposition Democratic Party, told AFP that all the party's lawmakers would remain inside the National Assembly building until the impeachment vote on Saturday evening.

The decision was made in response to "a lot of tips the party has received" regarding a potential second attempt by Yoon to declare martial law, Jo said.

A fresh opinion poll issued Friday put backing for the 63-year-old president, who has lurched from crisis to crisis since taking office in 2022, at a record low of 13 percent.

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Source: TRT