South Korean Parliament Votes to Impeach President Yoon

In a historic move, South Korea’s parliament has impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol, escalating political tensions and raising questions about the country’s leadership future.

The South Korean parliament has cast a vote to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol following his brief implementation of martial law last week.

On Saturday, the National Assembly voted 204 to 85 in favor of the measure, surpassing the required threshold of 200 votes.

All 300 members of the legislature attended the secret ballot, with three abstaining and eight ballots being declared invalid.

As a result of the National Assembly’s decision, Yoon is immediately suspended from office. The South Korean Constitutional Court now has up to 180 days to decide on whether the president should be removed from their position.

During this time, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will serve as the interim president of the country.

Park Chan-dae, the floor leader of South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party, stated that “This is a victory for the South Korean people and for democracy” following the impeachment vote.

Last Saturday, Yoon evaded a first impeachment attempt as his People Power Party (PPP) chose to boycott the vote.

This week, the PPP shifted its position after unsuccessful attempts to convince the president to resign willingly.

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“We explored alternatives to impeachment, but those options proved ineffective,” stated party leader Han Dong-hoon. “For now, impeaching the president is the sole method available to uphold democracy and protect the republic.”

The political crisis in South Korea began on December 3 when Yoon unexpectedly addressed the nation on television, announcing emergency martial law. He justified this action by claiming that the opposition was allegedly preparing a “rebellion” and accused them of being sympathetic towards North Korea.

In just a few hours, 190 lawmakers successfully reached the National Assembly despite military barricades and voted unanimously to revoke the decree. Meanwhile, thousands of people flooded the streets in protest against the president’s actions.

Less than six hours after declaring martial law, the head of state announced that he had chosen to withdraw his decision.

In his Thursday address, Yoon defended his decision amidst an investigation regarding potential insurrection. He described the declaration of martial law as a “highly calibrated political judgment,” intended to “protect the nation” from attempts by the opposition to hinder government functions.

“I will remain steadfast whether I face impeachment or investigation. I am committed to fighting until the very end,” promised the president.