South Korea’s National Assembly on Saturday failed to pass an impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol, as the ruling People Power Party (PPP) lawmakers walked out of the parliamentary session.
The impeachment motion, submitted by opposition parties including the liberal Democratic Party, sought to remove President Yoon over his controversial declaration of emergency martial law earlier in the week.
After voting against a bill to investigate scandals involving the first lady, Kim Keon-hee, most of the 108 PPP lawmakers exited the parliament hall, effectively preventing a quorum needed for the impeachment vote.
Despite efforts from opposition lawmakers, who called on the ruling party members to return and cast their ballots, the motion was scrapped due to a lack of quorum. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik ended the voting process after a three-hour wait.
Outside the parliament building, hundreds of thousands of citizens held a candlelight rally demanding President Yoon’s impeachment. Public sentiment has grown increasingly critical, with recent polls indicating a sharp decline in his approval ratings.
The impeachment motion stemmed from President Yoon’s declaration of emergency martial law on Tuesday night, which he repealed early Wednesday after the parliament voted against it. The revocation was approved at a cabinet meeting.
According to the proposed motion, such a declaration can only be made in cases of “state of war, serious incident or other comparable national emergency.” The opposition argued that no such emergencies were present, accusing President Yoon of violating the constitution and attempting treason by illegally mobilizing troops to paralyze the parliament.
Scandals involving First Lady Kim Keon-hee have also fueled the opposition’s calls for impeachment. She is suspected of involvement in stock price manipulation for illicit profits and allegedly interfering in candidate nominations for elections, as well as manipulating public opinion during the 2022 presidential election.
A survey conducted by local pollster Realmeter on Wednesday showed that 73.6 percent of respondents favored President Yoon’s impeachment. Even in traditional conservative strongholds like North Gyeongsang Province and the city of Daegu, 66.2 percent agreed with the impeachment.
President Yoon’s approval rating has plummeted to 16 percent, according to a Gallup Korea poll, marking the lowest since he took office in May 2022.
The failure to pass the impeachment motion leaves South Korea in a state of political uncertainty, as public pressure mounts and opposition parties pledge to continue their efforts to hold the president accountable.
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South Korea's impeachment vote fails as ruling party walks out
cgtn.com
