North Korean state media on Monday decried the South’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol as a “ringleader of rebellion”, its first reaction to his removal from office over a short-lived martial law decree.
Pyongyang has been relatively tight-lipped over South Korea’s political turmoil, which culminated Saturday in the country’s parliament voting to impeach him over “insurrection”.
Yoon has been suspended while South Korea’s Constitutional Court deliberates the impeachment, with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo serving as interim leader.
As of Saturday, the court had 180 days to rule on Yoon’s future.
The court’s acting head, Moon Hyung-bae, has said he will convene a meeting of its judges at 10 am (0100 GMT) Monday to plan a timetable for the case.
Also on Monday, Pyongyang’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Yoon had attempted to shift responsibility for the “foolish emergency martial law declaration” onto opposition parties.
“The investigation into puppet Yoon Suk Yeol, the ringleader of the rebellion, and his accomplices is under way,” KCNA said.
“The puppet Constitutional Court will finally decide” on whether to remove Yoon, it added.
North Korean state media often refers to the South’s leaders and institutions as being a “puppet” of its treaty ally, the United States.
KCNA previously described the South as being “in chaos” over the martial law order.
Relations between the two Koreas have been at one of their lowest points in years, with the North launching a flurry of ballistic missiles in violation of UN sanctions.
– Mounting investigation –
An investigation into Yoon and his inner circle over last week’s martial law declaration rumbled on as the turmoil deepened.
Yoon remains under a travel ban while the probe is ongoing.
On Sunday, the prosecution said in a press release they had summoned Yoon for questioning over insurrection allegations “but he refused to comply”.
They said they would issue a “second summons”, with Yonhap news agency reporting that could come on Monday.
Vast protests both for and against Yoon have rocked the South Korean capital since the December 3 martial law decree.
Demonstrators in both camps have vowed to keep up the pressure campaign as the Constitutional Court mulls Yoon’s fate.
On Sunday, police arrested both the current and former heads of the Defence Intelligence Command in connection to the insurrection allegations, Yonhap reported.
Prosecutors said they were also seeking an arrest warrant for the head of the Army Special Warfare Command Kwak Jong-keun, according to Yonhap.
Kwak is accused of sending special forces troops to parliament during the martial law bid — sparking a dramatic confrontation between soldiers and parliamentary staff.
The head of Yoon’s ruling People Power Party (PPP), who is facing growing calls to resign and who had expressed support for the impeachment, is also due to hold a press conference on Monday at 10:30 am.
The South Korean government has meanwhile sought to project an air of business as usual.
Acting president Han on Sunday held a call with US President Joe Biden, who underscored the strength of bilateral ties.
Han has also ordered the military to “enhance vigilance” against North Korea, with which the South technically remains at war.
burs-oho/dhc
