Seoul, South Korea
\nSouth Korea\u2019s parliament voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday in an extraordinary rebuke that came about after his own ruling party turned on him following his refusal to resign over his short-lived martial law attempt.
\nIt is the second time in less than a decade that a South Korean leader has faced impeachment proceedings in office and means Yoon is suspended from exercising his powers until the decision is finally adjudicated by the country\u2019s Constitutional Court.
\nFollowing the vote, which sparked jubilation among protesters outside parliament, Yoon conceded that he will \u201cstop temporarily for now, but the journey to the future that I\u2019ve walked with the people for the past two years should not stop.\u201d
\n\u201cI will not give up,\u201d he said in a statement shared by the country\u2019s presidential office.
\n\u201cWith all the encouragement and support for me in mind, I will do my best until the last moment for the nation,\u201d he added.
\nThe country\u2019s Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who will serve as acting president under South Korean law, told reporters that he would \u201cdevote all my strength and effort to stable operation of state affairs.\u201d
\nKang Sun-woo, a lawmaker with the Democratic Party, told CNN Saturday that the \u201cgreat democracy of South Korea will survive and will be born again\u201d after the impeachment.
\nThe dramatic decision marks the culmination of a stunning political showdown after Yoon briefly declared martial law on December 3 and sent soldiers to parliament, where lawmakers fought past troops to enter the building and vote down the decree.
\nYoon\u2019s gamble backfired spectacularly, galvanizing many in the vibrant Asian democracy to call for his removal.
\nOpposition parties tried impeaching him a week ago \u2013 but Yoon survived after members of his ruling People Power Party boycotted the vote, saying they hoped the president would voluntarily resign instead.
\nYoon then doubled down \u2013 giving a defiant speech on Thursday in which he defended his martial law decision, lambasted the opposition, claimed he was trying to save the country and vowed to \u201cfight until the last moment with the people.\u201d
\nYet moments before that speech, the leader of Yoon\u2019s party withdrew his support for the president and backed impeachment as the \u201conly way\u2026 to defend democracy\u201d, instructing lawmakers to vote with their conscience.
\nThousands of protesters gathered in Seoul on Saturday, braving the cold to call for Yoon to resign ahead of the vote, which was passed by 204 lawmakers with 85 voting against it.
\n\u201cHe surely tried to have a war against the citizens so this is just what he deserved,\u201d one protestor, Lim Dong Eon, told CNN outside the National Assembly building after the vote, where protesting has now turned into partying.
\nAnother protestor kept their message short, telling CNN: \u201cDemocracy is back!\u201d
\nMeanwhile, thousands of the president\u2019s supporters gathered in downtown Seoul, with many waving US and South Korean flags, chanting slogans and holding up signs in support of the embattled Yoon.
\nYoon, who has been immediately suspended of his powers, now awaits a ruling by the Constitutional Court \u2013 one of the country\u2019s highest courts \u2013 to confirm his fate, which can take up to six months.
\nActing chief justice of the Constitutional Court, Moon Hyung-bae, said in a statement Saturday that a meeting will take place on Monday to discuss the case schedule, adding that the process will be conducted \u201cswiftly and fairly.\u201d
\nIf confirmed, he will become the second South Korean president to be thrown out of office by impeachment after Park Geun-hye, the country\u2019s first female leader.
\nThe now acting president, Han Duck-soo, also faces his own political problems and is being investigated over his role in the martial law decision, adding to the political uncertainty in the weeks ahead.
\nA former prosecutor and conservative firebrand, Yoon has had a difficult two years in office, mired in low approval ratings and political scandals involving his wife and political appointments.
\nSince he took office in 2022 he has also faced political gridlock with an opposition-majority parliament \u2013 which prevented from moving forward on legislation to cut taxes and ease business regulations, as his main rivals in the Democratic Party used the legislature to impeach key cabinet members and hold up a budget bill.
\nHis administration cracked down what he referred to as \u201cfake news\u201d with police and prosecutors raiding multiple media outlets, including MBC and JTBC, as well as the homes of journalists.
\nYoon argued that his frustration with the political deadlock drove him to take a bold power move, surprising not only members of his own party but also many military leaders.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Seoul, South Korea South Korea\u2019s parliament voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday in an extraordinary rebuke that came about after his own ruling party turned on him following his refusal to resign over his short-lived martial law attempt. It is the second time in less than a decade that a South Korean […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":449502,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-449465","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n