South Korea National Assembly Votes to Impeach President Yoon

The South Korean National Assembly has voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday over his short-lived attempt to impose martial law.

The vote took place as hundreds of thousands took to the streets of Seoul in rallies for and against Yoon. Out of 300 lawmakers, 204 voted in support of impeachment, 85 voted against, three abstained and eight votes were nullified.

Yoon’s presidential powers and duties will be suspended and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will take over his authority once copies of a document on the impeachment are delivered to Yoon and to the Constitutional Court.

The Court now has 180 days to decide whether to remove Yoon. If he is removed from office, an election will have to conducted in 60 days. South Korean media says the Court will convene on Monday morning to discuss the schedule of Yoon’s impeachment trial.

This was the second National Assembly vote on Yoon’s impeachment motion. Last Saturday, Yoon survived an impeachment vote after most ruling party lawmakers boycotted the floor vote.

Following the vote, Yoon said, “I am temporarily stopping my journey. Though I stop for now, the journey to the future I’ve walked for the past two and half years must never stop. I will never give up. I will take your criticism, praise, and support to the heart and do my best for the country until the end.”

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Duck-soo vows to “devote all his strength and effort to stable operation of state affairs.”

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