South Korea’s parliament has voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, marking a dramatic turn of events as his own ruling party joined forces with the opposition to push for his removal. The decision comes after Yoon’s refusal to resign following his brief but controversial attempt to impose martial law.
This is the second time in less than a decade that a South Korean president has faced impeachment, and Yoon’s powers are now suspended pending a final ruling by the Constitutional Court. Outside the National Assembly, jubilant protesters celebrated the outcome.
In a statement issued after the vote, Yoon acknowledged the suspension of his powers, saying, “I will stop temporarily for now, but the journey to the future that I’ve walked with the people for the past two years should not stop.” He pledged to “do my best until the last moment for the nation.”
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who will act as interim president, assured the public that he would focus on ensuring the stable governance of the country during this transitional period.
The impeachment follows weeks of escalating political turmoil. Just a week earlier, opposition lawmakers had failed to impeach Yoon when members of his People Power Party abstained from the vote, urging the president to step down voluntarily instead. However, Yoon chose defiance, delivering a combative speech on Thursday in which he defended his martial law decision, criticized the opposition, and vowed to “fight until the last moment with the people.”
The tide turned against Yoon when his own party leader withdrew support, calling impeachment “the only way… to defend democracy” and urging lawmakers to vote according to their conscience. On Saturday, the motion to impeach Yoon passed with 204 votes in favor and 85 against.
In Seoul, thousands of demonstrators braved freezing temperatures to demand Yoon’s resignation before the vote. The mood shifted to celebration afterward, with some protesters describing the impeachment as a victory for democracy. “He surely tried to have a war against the citizens, so this is just what he deserved,” said Lim Dong Eon, a protester outside the National Assembly. Another declared simply, “Democracy is back!”
