South Korea Voted to Impeach President Yoon – Now What?
South Korea's Constitutional Court has begun impeachment proceedings against President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was suspended for declaring martial law and plunging his country into political turmoil.
Lawmakers voted to impeach Yoon last Saturday, after his actions sparked widespread protests calling for his resignation.
The court now has six months to decide whether to fire Yoon or reinstate him.
Since then, Yoon's ruling People Power Party (PPP) has been grappling with the fallout from the decision, with its leader announcing his resignation on Monday.
While public hearings in Yoon's impeachment trial could take months, the court is under pressure to make a quick decision and end political uncertainty. Protesters vowed to maintain their calls for Yoon's dismissal during the legal proceedings.
In the two previous cases where a South Korean president was impeached, the court overturned one decision and upheld the other.
Observers say what will complicate Yoon's trial is the fact that the court has only six judges out of nine, three of whom recently retired and have not yet been replaced.
If the court upholds the indictment in Yoon's case, the country would have to hold new presidential elections within 60 days. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo serves as interim president.
It is unclear whether Yoon himself will speak at the court hearings.
He ignored a summons to meet with prosecutors in Seoul on Sunday and is expected to be summoned again for questioning. If he does not come forward this week, the police could arrest him.
Yoon defended his decision to impose martial law, and after his impeachment, he again declared that he would fight to the end.
Minutes after the Constitutional Court meeting Monday morning, PPP leader Han Dong-hoon announced his resignation.
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Han faces growing calls for his resignation from the pro-Yoon faction
“I sincerely apologize to everyone who is suffering from this emergency,” Han said in a televised news conference.
Han has faced growing calls for his resignation, particularly from his party's large pro-Yoon faction, following the president's impeachment.
Han had initially tried to arrange an orderly exit for Yoon. But after a provocative speech from Yoon, Han reversed course and called for his impeachment, saying it was the only way to stop him.
On Saturday, 12 PPP MPs voted in favor of impeachment, allowing the motion to pass. But most other PPP lawmakers voted against Yoon's removal.
The five members of the PPP Supreme Council announced after the vote that they would resign, which would automatically lead to the dissolution of the party leadership.
With the Supreme Council having been “destroyed”, it was now “impossible” for Han to carry out his duties as party leader.
“Even though it pains me to think of my heartbroken supporters, I don’t regret it,” Han said, referring to his decision to seek Yoon’s impeachment.
