SEOUL (AP) — A parliamentary attempt in South Korea to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol for his brief imposition of martial law failed on Saturday after the majority of lawmakers from his conservative ruling party boycotted the vote.
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The defeat of the motion is expected to intensify public protests demanding the removal of Yoon and deepen the political chaos in South Korea. A survey suggests that the majority of South Koreans support the president's removal.
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Why is South Korea in a political crisis?
Yoon's declaration of martial law generated criticism from his own ruling conservative party, the People Power Party (PPP), although they are determined to oppose Yoon's impeachment, apparently out of fear of losing the presidency to the liberals.
The start of the process against Yoon required the support of two-thirds of the National Assembly, or 200 out of its 300 members. The opposition parties that presented the motion for impeachment had 192 seats, but only three legislators from the PPP participated in the vote. The motion was dismissed without scrutiny because the number of votes did not reach 200.
The President of the National Assembly, Woo Won Shik, described the outcome as "very regrettable" and an embarrassing moment for the country's democracy, which has been closely watched by the world.
"The failure to reach a qualified vote on this issue means that we were not even able to exercise the democratic process of deciding on a critical national issue," he said.
The opposition parties could present a new motion of impeachment once a new parliamentary session begins next Wednesday.
There are concerns that Yoon may not be able to fulfill his remaining two and a half years in office because his leadership has suffered a major blow. Many experts say that some lawmakers from the ruling party could eventually join the opposition parties' efforts to impeach Yoo if public demands for it intensify.
If Yoon is removed, an election to replace him must take place within the following 60 days.
How was the voting in the Korean parliament?
Woo repeatedly urged members of the ruling party to return to the chamber to participate in the vote, waiting for several hours for them to arrive.
At one point, the leaders of the Democratic Party visited a room on the floor below the main chamber where PPP lawmakers were meeting, trying to persuade them to vote. After being denied entry, they angrily accused the conservative leadership of preventing their lawmakers from voting freely.
Why did Yoon impose martial law in South Korea?
On Saturday morning, Yoon issued a public apology regarding the martial law decree, stating that he will not evade legal or political responsibility for the declaration and promising not to make another attempt to impose martial law. He stated that he will let his party chart a course through the country's political turmoil, "including matters related to my term."
Yoon said, "The declaration of this martial law was made out of desperation. However, in the course of its implementation, it caused anxiety and inconvenience to the public. I am very sorry for that and I truly apologize to the people who must have been very surprised."
Since taking office in 2022, Yoon has struggled to advance his agenda through a Parliament controlled by the opposition and has faced low approval ratings amid scandals involving him and his wife. In his announcement of martial law on Tuesday night, Yoon referred to Parliament as a "den of criminals" that hinders state affairs and promised to eliminate the "shameless followers of North Korea and anti-state forces."
The agitation caused by Yoon's unusual and ill-conceived measure has paralyzed South Korea's politics and has caused alarm among its main diplomatic partners, including neighboring Japan and the United States, its main ally.
On Tuesday night, special forces troops surrounded the parliamentary headquarters and army helicopters flew over the building, but the army withdrew after the National Assembly unanimously approved the annulment of the decree, forcing Yoon to withdraw it before Wednesday's dawn. The declaration of martial law was the first in over 40 years in South Korea.
Yoon's speech fueled speculation that he and his party could push for a constitutional amendment to shorten his term, instead of accepting impeachment, as a way to alleviate public anger over martial law and facilitate Yoon's early departure from office.
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main liberal opposition party, the Democratic Party, told journalists that Yoon's speech was "very disappointing" and that the only way forward is his immediate resignation or removal. His party described Yoon's martial law as "rebellion or unconstitutional and illegal coup."
On Saturday, tens of thousands of people gathered along several blocks of streets leading to the National Assembly, waving banners, chanting slogans, and dancing and singing K-pop songs with modified lyrics demanding the removal of Yoon. The protesters also gathered in front of the PPP headquarters near the Assembly, loudly demanding that their lawmakers vote to impeach Yoon.
A smaller group of Yoon’s supporters, still numbering in the thousands, demonstrated in other streets of Seoul, denouncing the impeachment attempt as unconstitutional.