South Korea’s National Assembly passes impeachment motion against PR Yoon Suk-yeol

Deng Xiaoci | Global Times

South Korea’s National Assembly passed the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol on Saturday, with 204 votes in favor of the impeachment in the 300-seat parliament, surpassing the two-thirds of all ballots needed. Meanwhile, 85 lawmakers opposed the motion, with three abstention votes and eight invalid votes.

Under South Korean constitution, Yoon’s presidential power and duties will be suspended until the Constitutional Court decides whether to expel him from office.

Yoon Suk-yeol vowed to do his best for his country "until the end," shortly after the National Assembly passed an impeachment motion against him Saturday. "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," Yoon said in a public address recorded at his residence, the Yonhap News Agency reported. 

"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,” he added.

Under South Korean constitution, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will serve as acting president. Han said after the impeachment that he will work to maintain stable running of state affairs, Yonhap reported.

The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) welcomed the National Assembly's decision to impeach Yoon over his botched imposition of martial law, calling it a victory for the people.

DP floor leader Park Chan-dae made the remarks as he met reporters after the vote, voicing appreciation for all those who supported Yoon's impeachment. "We made a historic victory for democracy because of all who gathered in front of the National Assembly and passionately cried out for the protection of the Constitution and democracy," he said, Yonhap reported.

He stressed that Yoon's impeachment is "only the first step" toward solving the aftermath of Yoon's December 3 martial law declaration, and vowed to push for a thorough investigation into Yoon and other "accomplices of the insurrection." Park said the DP will swiftly form a special counsel to investigate Yoon.

The National Assembly had previously voted on the first impeachment motion against Yoon on the December 7, but the motion failed due to insufficient participation from lawmakers.
 
Following the latest vote, Yoon has been immediately suspended from office. The case will then proceed to the Constitutional Court for review.

There is still uncertainty regarding the impeachment result of Yoon at the Constitutional Court. The reason is that there are currently only six judges, four of whom were appointed by Yoon. The political stance and views of the four judges appointed by Yoon could introduce significant variables into the decision, Dong Xiangrong, a senior research fellow at the National Institute of International Strategy, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Saturday.

From the voting results of 204 votes in favor and 85 votes against, South Korea's internal politics remain uncertain. Within the ruling party, the People Power Party, the pro-Yoon faction still prevails, and those supporting party leader Han Dong-hoon remain in the minority. Han Dong-hoon may next face challenges to his leadership in the future, potentially affecting his position as the leader of the party, Dong noted.

On the opposition side, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the DP, is also entangled in multiple lawsuits and legal disputes, which are still under investigation. As a result, political chaos in South Korea is expected to persist during the period of awaiting judgment, Dong said.

Furthermore, the scope of authority of acting president Han Duck-soo remains controversial, with uncertainties about the extent to which he can exercise presidential power. The impeachment trial can take up to 180 days. Given the ongoing political turmoil, it is expected that the Constitutional Court will make a ruling within approximately three months, rather than waiting the full 180 days, Dong predicted.

If the impeachment is upheld at the Constitutional Court, Yoon will become the second president to be ousted after former President Park Geun-hye in 2017, according to Yonhap.

According to a Gallup Korea poll, Yoon's approval rating further dived 5 percentage points from a week earlier to 11 percent this week, marking the lowest since his inauguration.

IF NECESSARY USE GOOGLE TRANSLATOR - above right