LAST UPDATE | 7 Dec 2024

A SOUTH KOREAN legislative motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived imposition of martial law fell through on Saturday after most members of his conservative governing party boycotted the vote.

The defeat of the motion is expected to intensify public protests calling for Yoon’s ousting and deepen political chaos in South Korea, with a survey suggesting a majority of South Koreans support the president’s impeachment.

Yoon’s martial law declaration drew criticism from his own ruling conservative party, but it is also determined to oppose Yoon’s impeachment apparently because it fears losing the presidency to liberals.

Impeaching Yoon required support from two-thirds of the National Assembly, or 200 of its 300 members.

The opposition parties who brought the impeachment motion had 192 seats, but only three politicians from PPP participated in the vote.

The motion was scrapped without ballot counting because the number of votes did not reach 200.

Yoon issued a public apology this morning ahead of the impeachment vote, saying he is “very sorry” for causing public anxiety and inconvenience with his declaration of martial law earlier this week. He also promised not to make another attempt to impose it.

Yoon said he will not shirk legal or political responsibility for the declaration, adding that he will follow the direction of his party to resolve the political crisis caused by his move.