South Korea's ruling party aims to distance itself from impeached president: expert

South Korea's political divisions are intensifying as opposition parties seek the arrest of impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol while Yoon's ruling party seeks to distance itself from the president to maintain its fragile grip on power, according to a political expert who previously worked in the South Korean presidential office.

From the president's controversial declaration of martial law to the ongoing legal battles over his impeachment, South Korea has been grappling with a turbulent political landscape.

In an exclusive interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Kim Oihyun, former assistant secretary for Political Affairs at the Office of the President, provided an overview of the recent upheaval and the key events leading to the attempted arrest of Yoon.

Yoon declared martial law on Dec.3, but the National Assembly quickly lifted it. He was impeached on December 14, leading to the suspension of his duties. Despite multiple summons, Yoon refused to attend, resulting in the issue of an arrest warrant on December 31st by the Corruption Investigation Office, according to Oihyun.

Oihyun noted that Yoon's claims of election fraud as a justification for martial law have been met with widespread skepticism among the public.

"President Yoon is arguing that he had to declare the martial law because of the election fraud, whereas the general public, only less than 30 percent believe that there was election fraud, whereas over 60 percent believe that there was no election fraud. So, we can say that the general public is not buying whatever reason President Yoon is arguing for his attempt of martial law,” he said.

The political situation is further complicated by the opposition party's call for both the arrest and impeachment of Yoon. In contrast, Oihyun says, the ruling party is employing legal maneuvers to stall the impeachment process.

"The basic position that the opposition party takes is advocating for both arrest and impeachment to President Yoon. The ruling party's strategy is, number one, the legal approach is that they are raising all kinds of legal objections to virtually every process. For instance, the arrest warrant that was issued by the court recently was challenged by the ruling party for the legitimacy of impeachment proceedings, he said.

He added that the ruling party's strategy is to distance themselves from Yoon and thereby enhance their chances of retaining power.

"And also, this is because of some kinds of strategic considerations. As soon as the president is impeached, the presidential election should be held within 60 days. The longer timeline that they have, the better chance that they will have to distance the ruling party themselves from President Yoon. So, it is considered that more time could improve chances of maintaining power for the ruling party,” Oiyuhn said.

South Korea's ruling party aims to distance itself from impeached president: expert

The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.

In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.

"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.

Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.

The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."

Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.

President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.

Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.

Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.

The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.

Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests