South Korea Voted to Impeach President Yoon – Now What?
South Korean lawmakers have voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his ill-fated attempt to impose martial law, which sparked massive protests across the country.
A total of 204 MPs supported the motion, including some from Yoon's People Power Party (PPP) – although the decision still needs to be ratified by the Constitutional Court.
After days of public pressure, the PPP decided to let its lawmakers vote, after an attempt to impeach Yoon failed last week when its lawmakers boycotted the hearing.
Thousands of anti-Yoon protesters celebrated Saturday night outside the National Assembly after the impeachment motion was passed, with crowds chanting while fireworks burst overhead.
“To the people, we hope that your end of the year will be a little happier now and that all your canceled end-of-year celebrations will be restored,” said National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, announcing the result.
“The future of the Republic of Korea and our hope is in the hands of the people, our hope is strong,” said Woo, a member of the main opposition Democratic Party.
Yoon's removal has enjoyed strong public support: recent polls found that three-quarters of South Koreans wanted to see him go.
The Constitutional Court now has 180 days to decide whether Yoon should be impeached or reinstated. If he decides to impeach, an election for the next president must be called within 60 days.
Yoon was suspended while Prime Minister Han Duck-soo took over as interim president.
However, Han and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, the next presidential candidate, are both embroiled in an ongoing police investigation into last week's events.
In a statement following the vote, Yoon said he was “temporarily stopping my travel” but would “never give up.”
“I will take your criticism, praise and support to heart and do my best for the country until the end,” he said.
Outside the National Assembly, where tens of thousands of protesters gathered throughout the day despite the bitter cold, many expressed their determination to see Yoon leave office for good.
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The joy was palpable after the result was announced, with lots of applause and songs of jubilation.
“I'm so happy that the bill was passed… At the same time, the fight is not over,” physiotherapist Sim Hee-seon told the BBC as she wiped away tears.
“We will have to wait for the court's judgment for his indictment to be finalized. We will continue to monitor.”
Two women dressed in Rudolf costumes held signs reading: “(It will be) a Merry Christmas only if Yoon Seok Yul disappears.”
Across town, at a pro-Yoon rally in Gwanghwamun Square, it was a different story. His supporters remained silent after hearing the news of the vote. Some people uttered angry insults before leaving the scene.
The success of the vote depended on support from the PPP, since the opposition MPs who tabled the motion only needed eight other MPs to join them. Last Saturday, when the opposition first tried to impeach Yoon, it failed by only a few votes as the PPP staged a walkout.
On Saturday, the party held a marathon meeting that began at 10 a.m. and lasted just minutes before the voting session began, as PPP lawmakers struggled to reach consensus on the party's position.
Ultimately, the party agreed to participate and allowed its lawmakers to vote their conscience. It turned out that at least 12 of them passed through the room. Another 85 people voted against impeachment.
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A total of 204 lawmakers voted for Yoon's impeachment.
South Korea has faced nearly two weeks of chaos and uncertainty since Yoon's brief attempt at martial law last Tuesday.
Yoon had cited threats from “anti-state forces” and North Korea. But it soon became clear that his decision had been motivated by his own domestic political problems and not by external threats.
Hours later, he rescinded the order after 190 lawmakers rejected it, many of them scaling fences and breaking barricades to gain access to the voting hall.
He then apologized. Then on Thursday, he defended his actions, saying he did it to protect the country's democracy and vowed to “fight to the end.”
The speech galvanized people and the president's approval rating fell to a record low of 11 percent, according to a Gallup Korea poll.
Impeaching a president is not unfamiliar territory for South Korea, which last impeached former President Park Geun-hye in 2016.
Ironically, Yoon – then a prosecutor – led the investigation against Park, which ultimately led to his impeachment.
Additional reporting by Leehyun Choi, Jake Kwon and Yuna Ku in Seoul
