South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has been impeached by the National Assembly following his controversial attempt to impose martial law, a move that has thrown the nation into political turmoil midway through his presidency.
The impeachment vote, held on Saturday, saw 204 lawmakers in favor and 85 against, with three abstentions and eight votes declared invalid.
The secret ballot required a two-thirds majority, and all 300 members of the unicameral assembly participated.
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Gasps echoed through the assembly chamber as the results were announced, while thousands of protesters gathered outside erupted in applause and cheers.
In a recorded public address from his residence, Yoon acknowledged the decision but pledged to remain committed to the country. “Although I am pausing for now, my journey for the future with the people over the past two and a half years shouldn’t stop,” he said. “I will carry with me all the criticisms, encouragement and support I have received, and I will do my best for the nation until the end.”
Suspension and interim leadership
With the impeachment, Yoon is immediately suspended from office, pending a decision by South Korea’s Constitutional Court, which has up to 180 days to rule on the matter. If the court upholds the impeachment, Yoon would become the second South Korean president to be removed from office after Park Geun-hye’s ouster in 2017.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has assumed the role of interim president. In his statement, Han vowed to “devote all my strength and efforts to ensure stable governance.”
Political divisions and shifting alliances
Yoon’s conservative People Power Party (PPP) initially boycotted an earlier impeachment vote, preventing a quorum. However, PPP leader Han Dong-hoon later urged party members to participate, although the party officially opposes Yoon’s impeachment.
Ahead of Saturday’s vote, at least seven PPP lawmakers signaled their intent to support impeachment. This shift was crucial, as it secured the 200 votes required for the motion to pass.
Meanwhile, opposition Democratic Party floor leader Park Chan-dae accused Yoon of being “the ringleader of the insurrection” and emphasized that impeachment was the “only way” to protect South Korea’s constitution.
Public response and political uncertainty
The impeachment follows mounting public dissatisfaction with Yoon’s leadership. His approval rating has plummeted to 11%, according to a Gallup Korea poll released on Friday, down from 19% in November. The same poll revealed that 75% of respondents now support his impeachment.
Ahead of the vote, an estimated 200,000 people gathered in Seoul for rival rallies, reflecting the nation’s deep political divide. Al Jazeera correspondent Eunice Kim described the atmosphere as charged, noting that “protesters came out for a historic moment, and a historic moment they got.”
However, Kim warned that uncertainty remains as South Korea braces for a prolonged political battle. “This is a significant moment. But I don’t think anyone is under any false pretense that the battle ahead is done.”
At the opening of the assembly session, Speaker Woo Won-shik underscored the gravity of the moment, declaring that “the weight of history” rested on lawmakers’ shoulders.
Yoon, meanwhile, has remained defiant amid growing criticism and investigations into his administration’s handling of the martial law attempt.
