PPP leader vows to minimize chaos with Yoon's 'early departure'

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, left, and ruling People Power Party (PPP) leader Han Dong-hoon deliver a joint public address at the PPP headquarters in Seoul, Dec. 8. Yonhap

Ruling People Power Party (PPP) leader Han Dong-hoon vowed Sunday to minimize the fallout from President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law declaration with the president's "early" and "orderly" departure.

The move came a day after a motion to impeach Yoon fell through due to a lack of quorum, with all but three PPP lawmakers boycotting the vote.

"Through an orderly early departure of the president, we will minimize the chaos for the Republic of Korea and its people, stabilize the political situation and restore liberal democracy," Han said at the PPP headquarters in western Seoul.

The party leader stressed that the majority of the public believes that Yoon should step down, as he is unable to govern normally for the remainder of his term.

In what appeared to be an attempt to ease concern among the public and the international community, he said the president will not take part in state affairs, including diplomacy, even before his departure.

He also vowed to ensure a stern and transparent investigation into the political turmoil and hold regular talks with the prime minister at least once a week to prevent potential vacuums in administering state affairs.

"There will be no chaos in the process of an orderly early departure," Han said. "Until the president's departure, the prime minister and the party will closely consult to seamlessly take care of livelihood issues and state affairs."

Han denounced Yoon's martial law declaration and subsequent entry of soldiers into the National Assembly as an "unconstitutional act" and said the PPP, as the ruling party, takes the public's judgment of the situation seriously.

The prime minister also reaffirmed efforts to swiftly stabilize the situation, vowing to put the people first.

"What is most important at this moment is that not one inch of a vacuum in state affairs should happen," he said in a separate statement.

He stressed that the whole Cabinet, with efforts led by the foreign minister, will strive to maintain trust with the United States, Japan and other friendly countries.

"Firmly maintaining the South Korea-U.S. alliance and the trilateral security cooperation with the U.S. and Japan is a very big and crucial task," Prime Minister Han said.

He said he will humbly seek cooperation with the opposition-controlled National Assembly as he called for a parliamentary passage of the budget bill, saying the timely execution of the budget plan is the only way to recover the economy and people's livelihoods at the right time.

The surprise declaration of martial law Tuesday night came after the opposition Democratic Party railroaded a downsized budget bill in the parliamentary budget committee, and submitted impeachment motions against the chief state auditor and three senior prosecutors over their roles in investigations related to the relocation of the presidential office and first lady Kim Keon Hee. (Yonhap)