Seoul: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged on Saturday to continue fighting for his political survival after being impeached in a second vote by the opposition-controlled parliament over his brief attempt to impose martial law, a move that shocked the nation. The Constitutional Court will now determine within the next six months whether to remove him from office. If he is ousted, a snap election will be held.
In the meantime, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who was appointed by Yoon, has assumed the role of acting president, while Yoon remains in office, though his presidential powers have been suspended halfway through his five-year term. Han assured the nation that he would do everything in his power to stabilize the government. "I will exert all my strength to ensure the stability of the administration," Han told reporters.
Yoon becomes the second conservative president in South Korea's history to be impeached, following the removal of Park Geun-hye in 2017. Yoon survived a first impeachment attempt just last week, when his party largely boycotted the vote, preventing the parliament from reaching a quorum.
"Although I am momentarily halted, the journey I have walked with the people over the past two and a half years toward the future cannot be stopped. I will never give up," Yoon said in response to the impeachment.
Once seen as a political survivor, Yoon’s presidency has become increasingly isolated, marred by personal scandals, a relentless opposition, and divisions within his own party.
Protesters celebrating Yoon’s impeachment erupted in joy near the parliament, waving colorful LED sticks to music. In contrast, a rally by Yoon's supporters quickly fizzled out after the news of the impeachment broke.
Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung addressed the jubilant crowd, urging them to continue their fight for Yoon's swift removal. "You, the people, have made this happen. You are writing a new history," he told the protesters, who had braved subzero temperatures to attend.
The impeachment motion passed after at least 12 members of Yoon’s People Power Party joined opposition lawmakers, giving them the 204 votes needed to surpass the two-thirds threshold in the 300-member National Assembly. The final count was 204 in favor, 85 against, three abstentions, and eight invalid ballots.
The crisis began when Yoon stunned the nation on December 3 by granting the military sweeping emergency powers to target what he described as "anti-state forces" and to break a political deadlock with obstructionist opponents. He revoked the declaration just six hours later, after parliament voted against it, but the move plunged the country into a constitutional crisis and sparked widespread calls for his resignation.
Yoon later apologized to the nation but defended his actions, refusing calls to step down. Opposition parties pushed for a new impeachment vote, which was backed by large protests calling for his removal.
In addition to the impeachment, Yoon is under criminal investigation for alleged insurrection related to the martial law decree, and authorities have imposed a travel ban on him. In a defiant speech earlier this week, Yoon vowed to "fight to the end," justifying his martial law decision as a necessary measure to break the political deadlock and protect the country from domestic politicians he accused of undermining democracy.