When President Yun did not resign, the ruling PPP MPs also voted in favor of impeachment
The South Korean parliament has passed an impeachment motion against President Eun Suk Yeol. In the voting held on Saturday, 204 MPs voted in favor of the impeachment motion.
According to international media, 84 MPs voted against the impeachment, 8 votes were invalid, 3 MPs abstained. With the passing of the impeachment motion, President Yun has been automatically suspended from office.
Yun will now face the Constitutional Court. The 9-member court will take the final decision on the impeachment motion against him. There is a provision to hold an election to elect a new president within 60 days of the vacancy of the presidency. Until then, Prime Minister Han Dak Su will act as interim president.
After the impeachment motion was passed, Yun said that he would contribute his best to the country "until the end". "Even though I have to step down from my role for the time being, my future journey with the people over the past two and a half years should not stop," Yun said in a public address recorded at his residence. Will do.'
President Yeol, saying that nationalism is under threat from North Korea and some opposition within the country, on December 3 along with South Korea, martial law was implemented to shock the world community. Shortly after the President's order, the army was mobilized in the country. Helmeted soldiers and policemen were stationed at the National Assembly. Some soldiers descended from the helicopter on the roof of the parliament building.
The local media broadcast the scene of masked armed soldiers entering the building and staff using fire fighting equipment to prevent them from entering.
At 11 pm local time on Tuesday, shortly after the President declared martial law, the army issued an order banning the activities of the parliament and demonstrations by political groups. In that order, it was mentioned that the media will also be under government control.
The President's move was strongly opposed by political parties including his own party People's Power Party (PPP) and the people. President Yun was forced to withdraw his decision after a majority of parliament overturned the decision to impose martial law. But in opposition to that, the MPs of the opposition party brought an impeachment motion saying that he should be removed from office.
He was spared from impeachment after the PPP boycotted the vote in Parliament last Saturday. The PPP has 180 members in the 300-member parliament.
The PPP took a strategy to protect President Yeol from impeachment and force him to resign. PPP leader Han Dong-hoon responded that it was not possible to continue regular operations because the president had taken wrong steps. "His early resignation is inevitable," Han Dong-hoon of the PPP said. But President Yun apologized for implementing "martial law" and promised not to take such a step again. "I am very sorry and want to apologize to the people who were shocked," Yun said.
President Yun admitted wrongdoing but refused to resign, angering ruling party lawmakers, who voted in favor of the impeachment motion tabled on Friday. Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun has resigned. He is in police custody during the investigation of the incident. Kim was arrested by the police last Sunday on the charge of "being involved in an important role in declaring martial law and abusing official dignity to obstruct the exercise of civil rights".
According to South Korean media, Hyun had even attempted suicide before being arrested. The opposition Democratic Party has demanded that Kim be investigated for treason. If convicted in the case, Kim faces the death penalty or life imprisonment, according to the Korea Times.
Yun, a staunch traditionalist leader who was elected president in 2022, was already in trouble because of his wife. His wife, Kim Keon Hee, was accused of illegally gifting expensive brand 'bags' and manipulating the stock market. After the
news came out, there was a ripple in South Korean politics. Due to the scandal, Yun's party PPP suffered a heavy defeat in the parliamentary elections held last April. After the opposition party won a wide victory in the elections, his hands and feet were tied. Since then, the law desired by his government has not been passed. He vetoed various bills passed by the liberal opposition.
Yun's popularity was declining due to his involvement in several corruption cases. Lately, Yun apologized on behalf of his wife last month after growing discontent even within his own party. He then announced the creation of an office to oversee the responsibilities of the 'first wife'. After refusing the demand for a detailed investigation into the expensive gifts received by his wife, there was increasing public anger towards him.
This is not the first time that the president has faced impeachment in South Korea. Earlier in 2016, President Park Geun-hye was impeached for helping a friend to extort money. At that time, 234 MPs were in favor of the impeachment motion against Park.
Similarly, in 2004, another South Korean president, Roh Moo-hyun, was impeached. He was suspended for two months and later reinstated by the Constitutional Court.
