South Korean lawmakers have voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his controversial attempt to impose martial law.
The motion, passed on December 15, follows allegations of insurrection after Yoon’s move to grant the military sweeping emergency powers to suppress what he called “anti-state forces.”
Out of 300 lawmakers, 204 voted in favor of impeachment, while 85 voted against it. Three lawmakers abstained, and eight ballots were declared invalid.
The motion was passed after several members of Yoon’s own People Power Party (PPP) joined forces with opposition parties, which collectively control 192 seats in the National Assembly.
This alliance helped the impeachment motion clear the two-thirds threshold required for it to succeed.
The decision now moves to the Constitutional Court, which will have six months to rule on whether Yoon should be removed from office.
Yoon’s bid to impose martial law came to light on December 3, when he granted emergency powers to the military in an attempt to eliminate political opposition and quell unrest.
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The move sparked a wave of criticism across the country, with many viewing it as an overreach of presidential authority.
Yoon later apologized to the nation but defended his actions, insisting that they were necessary to overcome what he described as obstruction by political adversaries.
The impeachment of Yoon marks a significant moment in South Korean politics, as he becomes the second conservative president in a row to face impeachment.
In 2017, President Park Geun-hye was removed from office following a corruption scandal. Now, South Koreans await the constitutional court’s ruling on Yoon’s political future.