Impeachment Attempt Fails Amid Nationwide Protests
South Korea’s National Assembly failed to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol after his party boycotted the vote. The opposition initiated the impeachment motion following Yoon’s short-lived martial law declaration, which sparked nationwide protests. The vote’s defeat is expected to escalate political turmoil and public demands for Yoon’s removal.
A recent survey revealed that most South Koreans support the president’s impeachment. Even members of Yoon’s conservative party criticized the martial law declaration but resisted impeachment to avoid losing the presidency to liberals.
The opposition-controlled parliament began the vote on Saturday, with only three lawmakers from Yoon’s People’s Power Party (PPP) joining them. The impeachment motion will lapse at midnight if fewer than 200 lawmakers vote. However, the opposition plans to reintroduce the motion when the next session begins on Wednesday.
Holding 192 seats in the 300-member National Assembly, the opposition lacks just eight votes to reach the two-thirds majority required for impeachment.
Yoon’s Martial Law Sparks Backlash
On Saturday, hours before the vote, President Yoon publicly apologized for declaring martial law, calling the move desperate. He pledged to accept all legal consequences and assured the public there would be no further martial law orders. Yoon directed his PPP to take necessary steps to stabilize the political climate, including decisions about his tenure.
The impeachment vote began around 5 p.m. and extended for several hours. Criticism of Yoon increased after his Tuesday martial law attempt, with some PPP members labeling him a “great danger” to citizens.
Yoon imposed martial law on Tuesday to “eliminate anti-state forces,” accusing the liberal Democratic Party of supporting North Korea. The decree ended six hours later after 190 lawmakers forced their way into parliament to overturn it.
Opposition leaders called Yoon’s actions unconstitutional and demanded his removal. If impeached, Yoon’s powers would be suspended until the Constitutional Court rules. Removal would trigger a new election within 60 days.
