South Korea’s National Assembly initiated impeachment proceedings against President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday due to his brief imposition of martial law earlier this month.
The impeachment motion passed with a 204-85 vote.
Following the vote, President Yoon’s presidential powers are suspended pending a Constitutional Court ruling.
The court has a 180-day timeframe to decide whether to remove Yoon from office or reinstate his powers. A national election to select a successor is mandated within 60 days should he be removed.
This marks the second impeachment attempt against the president. A previous attempt failed last weekend due to a boycott by ruling party lawmakers.
However, a shift in support within the ruling party, fueled by escalating public protests and a sharp decline in Yoon’s approval ratings, led to this second impeachment vote.
Yoon’s declaration of martial law on December 3rd, although lasting only six hours – the first in over four decades – triggered significant political instability, disrupting diplomatic efforts and impacting financial markets. Parliament’s unanimous vote overturned the decree.
In response to the martial law declaration, Yoon deployed numerous troops and police officers to the parliament to impede the vote before their withdrawal following the parliament’s rejection. The situation remained largely non-violent.
Since then, widespread protests in Seoul have demanded Yoon’s removal and arrest. Conversely, his supporters have staged counter-protests.
A travel ban has been imposed on Yoon while law enforcement investigates potential charges of rebellion, abuse of power, and other offenses related to the martial law declaration. Conviction on rebellion charges carries potential penalties of death or life imprisonment.
While presidential immunity shields Yoon from most criminal prosecution, it does not extend to allegations of rebellion or treason. This allows for investigation, detention, arrest, or indictment, though forceful detention is considered unlikely due to potential conflicts with his security detail.
Yoon’s defense minister, police chief, and the head of Seoul’s metropolitan police have been arrested in connection with the martial law case. Further investigations are underway involving other high-ranking military and government officials.