The second petition against President Yoon Seok-yeol was impeached by a vote of 204 to 85 in the National Assembly.
advertisementPresident Yoon Seok-yeol was impeached at the plenary session of the National Assembly last Saturday with 204 votes in favor, 85 against, 3 abstentions, and 8 invalid votes.
This was the second impeachment vote in a week, following President Yoon’s survival of the first vote in the National Assembly last Saturday. The majority of lawmakers from the ruling People’s Party boycotted the bill, failing to reach at least 200 out of 300 votes, so it was passed. All members of the National Assembly attended today’s vote.
His presidential powers and duties are suspended until the Constitutional Court decides whether to remove him or reinstate him within 180 days. If he is forced from office, a national election to choose his successor must be held within 60 days.
After President Yoon declared short-term martial law on the evening of December 3, public protests against conservative President Yoon intensified to the extent that tens of thousands of people poured into the streets of Seoul, the capital, every night.
The president’s declaration of martial law, which lasted only six hours, was the first such declaration in Korea in over 40 years. The country subsequently fell into political turmoil as financial markets faltered.
After the declaration, Rep. Yoon dispatched hundreds of soldiers and police to the National Assembly to try to disrupt the vote on the law. Congress unanimously voted to overturn the bill, and no major violence broke out.
Last week, the impeachment bill claimed that Chairman Yoon “committed a rebellion that undermined the peace of the Republic of Korea by causing a series of riots.” Prosecutor General Yoon’s mobilization of the military and police threatens the National Assembly and the people, and martial law is aimed at disrupting the Constitution.
The opposition party and many experts have cited provisions of the law that classify riots against existing state authorities as rebellions to undermine the constitution.
Rep. Yoon dismissed criticism in a fiery speech last Thursday, referring to his martial law as an act of state affairs and claiming it was an attempt to warn the liberal opposition Democratic Party, calling them “monsters” and “anti-state forces.” He used his legislative power to impeach high-ranking officials and undermine government budget plans.
He has been barred from leaving South Korea as authorities are investigating whether he and others who participated in the declaration of martial law committed mutiny, abuse of power and other crimes. If found guilty, the president could face life in prison or even the death penalty.
South Korea’s Minister of National Defense, the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency chief were all arrested for their roles in the martial law incident. Other senior military and government officials are also being investigated.
