Seoul, March 17 Five opposition parties of South Korea decided on Monday to file a petition with a global body of legislatures to request an investigation into South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid.
Political turmoil has persisted since Yoon's surprise declaration of martial law in December. At that time, the National Assembly was briefly sealed by martial law troops before lawmakers voted to demand Yoon lift the martial law decree.
Rep. Lee Jae-jung of the main opposition Democratic Party told reporters that the parties plan to request the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) to conduct the probe and seek its "support for the South Korean people in ending the insurrection and defending constitutional order."
Created in 1889, the IPU is a global organisation of national parliaments dedicated to promoting peace through parliamentary diplomacy and dialogue and is currently made up of 181 member countries.
"Attempts to justify martial law and the regression of democracy are still ongoing," Lee said.
She explained that the petition will allow Yoon's insurrection to be investigated in accordance with international human rights norms through formal procedures of the IPU, Yonhap news agency reported.
"The use of armed military and police forces to invade the National Assembly will once again be judged by the international community," she added.
Earlier in the day, South Korean Police said that they are set to again apply for arrest warrants for two senior officials of the Presidential Security Service (PSS) accused of obstructing investigators' attempt to detain impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol.
An official from the National Office of Investigation (NOI) said police have finalised preparations to detain acting PSS chief Kim Seong-hoon and Lee Kwang-woo, chief of the PSS' bodyguard division, and are set to present the applications to the prosecution later on Monday.
If Yoon is ousted, the country will be required to hold a snap presidential election within 60 days. If reinstated, he will serve out the remainder of his term through May 2027.
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