South Korean Parliament Impeaches President Yoon

By Staff, Agencies

The South Korean parliament has voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his brief imposition of martial law last week.

The National Assembly voted 204 to 85 in support of the measure on Saturday, above the required threshold of 200.

All 300 members of the legislature were in attendance for the secret ballot, but three abstained, and eight ballots were declared invalid.

The decision by the National Assembly means that Yoon is automatically suspended from office. The South Korean Constitutional Court now has 180 days to rule on the president’s removal from the post.

During this period, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will act as the country’s interim president.

“This is a victory for the South Korean people and for democracy,” Park Chan-dae, the floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, said after the impeachment vote.

Yoon survived a first impeachment attempt last Saturday when his People Power Party (PPP) boycotted the vote.

However, the PPP changed its stance this week, after its efforts to persuade the president to step down voluntarily failed.

“We tried to find a better way than impeachment, but that other way is invalid,” party leader Han Dong-hoon said. “Suspending the president from his duties through impeachment is the only way for now, to defend democracy and the republic.”

The political crisis in South Korea erupted on December 3 when Yoon delivered a surprise televised address, declaring emergency martial law on the grounds that the opposition – which he accused of being sympathetic towards North Korea – had allegedly been preparing a “rebellion.”

Within hours, 190 lawmakers, who managed to access the National Assembly despite military cordons, voted unanimously to lift the decree. Thousands of people took to the streets to condemn the president’s actions.

Less than six hours after imposing martial law, the head of state announced that he had decided to retract his decision.

During his address on Thursday, Yoon, who faces an investigation over possible insurrection, defended his move, calling the declaration of martial law a “highly calibrated political judgment.” It was aimed to “protect the nation” from the opposition’s attempts to block the work of the government, he said.

“I will stand firm whether I am impeached or investigated. I will fight to the end,” the president pledged.