“SECOND COUP”
At least several hundred protesters held more rallies late Tuesday outside the National Assembly, waving glow sticks and holding signs that read, “Impeach Yoon Suk Yeol, the insurrection criminal.”
The PPP says that Yoon, 63, has agreed to hand power to the prime minister and party chief, prompting the opposition to accuse it of a “second coup”.
A party task force was reportedly reviewing two options for a way forward, including for Yoon to resign in February with an April election, or to step down in March with a vote in May.
With the opposition holding 192 seats in the 300-strong parliament, only eight PPP members need to vote in favour of a new impeachment motion for it to pass.
Last week, two PPP lawmakers — Ahn Cheol-soo and Kim Yea-ji — voted in favour, and two more said Tuesday they would support the motion this time.
Ahn, a self-made multi-millionaire, trained doctor and software designer, told AFP on Monday that he was booed and heckled at a party meeting.
“The idea that a president responsible for upholding the constitution of the world’s 10th largest economy would stage an unconstitutional coup is beyond imagination,” Ahn said.