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South Korea’s Yoon impeached after botched martial law attempt.
South Korean lawmakers impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, putting him on the brink of being ousted less than two weeks after he shocked the nation by briefly imposing martial law.
In the 300-seat parliament, 204 lawmakers voted in favor of impeaching the president on Saturday, surpassing the two-thirds majority needed for the motion to pass. Meanwhile, 85 lawmakers opposed the move.
The vote is the second attempt to impeach Yoon following his 3 December declaration of martial law – the first such move since South Korea became a democracy nearly 40 years ago.
Although Yoon rescinded the order six hours later, after lawmakers raced to the National Assembly and voted down the decree, his actions rattled markets and sparked outrage across the country.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will deliver a national address after a cabinet meeting, according to Yonhap News Agency. Yoon’s office couldn’t immediately comment on the vote.
Yoon will be suspended from his duties, with Han expected to step in as interim leader until the Constitutional Court rules on the impeachment motion within 180 days. If the court agrees on his removal, an early presidential election will be held in 60 days.
In principle, at least seven judges on the court must convene to consider an impeachment case, with a minimum of six required to approve it.
However, the court currently only has six judges, as three seats remain vacant. A court official said they could still proceed with the review, but it’s unclear if they can deliver a final decision under these circumstances.
“International economic partners don’t like uncertainty and diplomatic partners will remember this instability,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. “But South Korea’s democracy is working while providing cautionary lessons for other countries.”
It’s a remarkable fall from grace for Yoon, a career prosecutor who rose to power in 2022 after winning the closest presidential race in South Korea’s history. Yoon was seen in Washington as a key ally and defender of democracy, but at home, it’s a different story.
Yoon has stepped up his attacks on the press and vowed to abolish the gender ministry, which critics say would set back efforts to close one of the world’s worst gender gaps. His ability to pass laws has been severely weakened since the opposition’s big win in the April legislative elections.
Yoon has pledged to fight to the end, denying any wrongdoing. “Whether they impeach me or investigate me, I will face them down with confidence,” Yoon said in a televised national address on Thursday.
If the court upholds Yoon’s impeachment, the possible frontrunner to replace him would be opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who leads the Democratic Party. A recent Gallup Korea poll found that 29% of respondents favored Lee as the next president, while 11% supported Han Dong-hoon, the head of Yoon’s ruling People Power Party.
Lee’s party advocates a softer line on North Korea, more cash handouts for citizens and higher taxes on the country’s wealthiest corporations and businesses. Lee faces his own legal troubles, as a Seoul court convicted him last month of violating election laws. He has appealed the ruling.
