South Korea’s Parliament Impeaches President Yoon Suk Yeol over Martial Law Decree
South Korea’s parliament voted on Saturday to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his controversial martial law decree, a historic decision that has sparked widespread public reaction. The National Assembly passed the impeachment motion with a vote of 204-85, marking a significant political shift. As a result, Yoon’s presidential powers will be suspended, and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will assume his duties pending a ruling from the Constitutional Court, which has up to 180 days to decide Yoon’s fate. The impeachment follows Yoon’s imposition of martial law on December 3, which lasted only six hours but caused a political and public uproar. The decree, the first in over 40 years, saw the mobilization of troops and police to block a parliamentary vote on the measure. Yoon was forced to revoke the law after parliament unanimously voted against it. His actions were widely criticized by opposition parties and experts, accusing him of rebellion and undermining the Constitution. The vote on Saturday was the second impeachment motion against Yoon. Last week, he survived a similar vote after a boycott by many ruling party lawmakers, but increasing public protests and a sharp decline in his approval rating — now at just 11% — led to a shift in sentiment. While supporters of Yoon gathered in Seoul, a massive crowd celebrated the outcome near parliament, calling the impeachment a triumph for democracy. Yoon, in a statement, vowed to “never give up” and urged the government to maintain stability during the “temporary” pause in his presidency. However, investigations into his martial law declaration are ongoing, and he has been banned from leaving the country while authorities probe possible rebellion charges. If the Constitutional Court upholds the impeachment, a national election will be held within 60 days to elect a new president. Yoon’s impeachment marks the third time in South Korea’s history that a sitting president has faced removal from office.
