South Korea parliament approves impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol News
Hashflu, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
South Korea parliament approves impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol

The South Korea National Assembly Saturday passed an impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol with 204 votes in favor, surpassing the two-thirds majority of 300 lawmakers necessary to initiate impeachment proceedings.

Under Article 66 of the South Korean Constitution, an impeachment motion requires support from at least 200 members of the National Assembly. The motion must also demonstrate that the president has violated the Constitution or other laws in the performance of official duties. The motion cites violations stemming from Yoon’s martial law declaration of December 3-4, which banned political activities and demonstrations while forcing striking doctors to return to work.

According to the National Assembly resolution, this declaration violated Article 77 of the Constitution, which strictly limits martial law to situations of war, armed conflict or similar national emergencies that pose a grave threat to national security. The Assembly determined that both the declaration itself and the subsequent restrictions on civil liberties and political activities lacked constitutional justification and constituted an abuse of presidential power. In its resolution, the Assembly also emphasized that impeachment was necessary to protect the Constitution and restore the damaged constitutional order.

The case will now proceed to the Constitutional Court, which has 180 days to review the impeachment and make a final ruling, requiring a six-judge majority from the nine-member court to remove the president from office. During this period, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will serve as acting president, as mandated by Article 71 of the Constitution.

Following an extraordinary cabinet meeting held at 8 p.m. in the Seoul Government Complex, Acting President Han assured the public that the government would ensure stable state administration in accordance with the Constitution and laws, prioritizing national security and minimizing disruptions to citizens’ daily lives. He emphasized the importance of maintaining seamless governance, establishing a robust security posture, and stabilizing international confidence. Han also committed to strengthening the emergency economic response system to ensure the smooth functioning of financial and currency markets, implementing tailored support plans for vulnerable groups, and responding comprehensively to various disasters.

The same motion failed a week ago for the parliament’s failure to secure the quorum, bringing nearly 200,000 protesters together to protest near the parliament building.

This impeachment marks a historic moment as the second in South Korea’s history, following the 2016 removal of former President Park Geun-hye. If six or more Constitutional Court justices uphold the impeachment, President Yoon would be immediately removed from office, triggering a new presidential election within 60 days.

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