SEOUL – South Korea’s parliament on Saturday impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his stunning and short-lived martial law decree, a move that ended days of political paralysis but set up an intense debate over Yoon's fate, as jubilant crowds roared to celebrate another defiant moment in the country's resilient democracy.
The National Assembly passed the motion 204-85. Yoon’s presidential powers and duties were subsequently suspended and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the country’s No. 2 official, took over presidential powers later Saturday.
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The Constitutional Court has up to 180 days to determine whether to dismiss Yoon as president or restore his powers. If he’s thrown out of office, a national election to choose his successor must be held within 60 days.
It was the second National Assembly vote on Yoon's impeachment after ruling party lawmakers boycotted the first floor vote last Saturday. Some People Power Party lawmakers had since said they would vote for Yoon's impeachment as public protests intensified and his approval rating plummeted.
National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik said Yoon’s impeachment was an outcome driven by “the people’s ardent desire for democracy, courage and dedication.”
Hundreds of thousands of people gathered near the parliament roared in jubilation, waved banners and brandished colorful K-pop glow sticks, as a lead activist shouted on stage, “We have preserved the constitutional order!”
“The impeachment has been done in line with the people’s demand and I hope a decision to dismiss Yoon Suk Yeol will come as soon as possible,” said Kim Su-bong, a protester. “I’m very happy and moved. I view it as a victory of the people.”
In a central Seoul plaza, another huge crowd gathered supporting Yoon, but they grew subdued after hearing he had been impeached.
The acting leader bolsters the country's security posture
Yoon issued a statement saying he would “never give up” and calling for officials to maintain stability in government functions during what he described as a “temporary” pause of his presidency.
“I will carry with me all the criticisms, encouragement and support directed toward me, and I will continue to do my utmost for the country until the very last moment,” Yoon said.
Yoon’s Dec. 3 imposition of martial law, the first of its kind in more than four decades in South Korea, lasted only six hours, but has caused massive political tumult, halted diplomatic activities and rattled financial markets. Yoon was forced to lift his decree after parliament unanimously voted to overturn it.
Han, the acting leader, ordered the military to bolster its security posture to prevent North Korea from launching provocations by miscalculation. Han asked the foreign minister to inform other countries that South Korea's major external policies remain unchanged, and the finance minister to work to minimize potential negative impacts on the economy by the political turmoil, according to Han's office.
“I earnestly ask public servants this. At this moment, we have the critical task of ensuring normal and stable operations of state affairs ... I ask you to carry out your duties without any neglect to ensure that the government is operated without being shaken,” Han said in a televised statement.
Han’s office said he had a phone call with U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday, discussing the political situation in South Korea and regional security challenges, including North Korea’s nuclear program and its ongoing military cooperation with Russia, and reaffirming their mutual commitment to maintaining and strengthening their alliance.
South Korea’s executive power is concentrated with the president, but the prime minister leads the country if the president becomes incapacitated. Han is a seasoned official and has previously held a string of top government posts such as trade minister and finance minister. He also served as a prime minister from 2007-2008.
U.S. Ambassador Philip S. Goldberg wrote on X that the U.S. supports South Korea’s “democratic and constitutional process here and stands with its people.” Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told reporters Saturday that Tokyo was closely watching the developments in South Korea but said that “the importance of Japan-South Korea relations is not affected.”
After declaring martial law, Yoon sent hundreds of troops and police officers to the parliament to try to impede its vote on the decree, before they withdrew after the parliament rejected Yoon's decree. No major violence occurred.
Opposition parties accuse Yoon of rebellion, citing a law that categorizes as rebellion the staging of a riot against established state authorities to undermine the constitution. They also say that a president in South Korea is allowed to declare martial law only during wartime or similar emergencies and has no right to suspend parliament’s operations even under martial law.
The impeachment motion alleged that Yoon “committed rebellion that hurt peace in the Republic of Korea by staging a series of riots.” It said Yoon’s mobilization of military and police forces threatened the National Assembly and the public and that his martial law decree was aimed at disturbing the constitution.
Yoon remains defiant
In a fiery speech on Thursday, Yoon rejected the rebellion charges, calling his martial law introduction an act of governance. The conservative Yoon said he aimed to issue a warning to the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, calling it “a monster” and “anti-state forces” that he argued has flexed its legislative muscle to impeach many top officials and undermine the government’s budget bill for next year. He claimed the deployment of troops was meant to maintain order, rather than disrupt it.
Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung called Yoon’s speech a “mad declaration of war” against his own people.
Observers say Yoon’s speech suggested a focus on legal preparations to defend his martial law decree at the Constitutional Court, even as opinion surveys showed more than 70% of South Koreans supported his impeachment. A survey released Friday put Yoon’s approval rating at 11%, the lowest since he took office in 2022.
Some of Yoon's claims don't align with testimony by some military commanders whose troops were deployed to the Assembly.
Kwak Jong-keun, commander of the Army Special Warfare Command, said that Yoon had asked for his troops to “quickly destroy the door and drag out the lawmakers who are inside.” Kwak said he didn’t carry out Yoon’s order.
Yoon is the third South Korean president impeached while in office. In 2016, parliament impeached Park Geun-hye, the country’s first female president, over a corruption scandal. The Constitutional Court upheld her impeachment and dismissed her from office.
In 2004, President Roh Moo-hyun was impeached at parliament over an alleged election law violation but the court later overturned his impeachment and restored his presidential powers.
Yoon has been banned from leaving South Korea. Yoon's defense minister and police chief and two other high-level figures have been arrested over the martial law enforcement.
He has the presidential privilege of immunity from criminal prosecution but that doesn’t extend to allegations of rebellion or treason. But observers doubt that authorities will forcefully detain him because of the potential for clashes with his presidential security service.
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Associated Press journalists Seong-bin Kang in Seoul, South Korea, and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report.