South Korean parliament votes to charge Yoon Suk Yeol over attempted martial law

South Korean lawmakers voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol for his ill-fated attempt to impose martial law, which sparked mass protests across the country.

A total of 204 parliamentarians supported the motion, including some from Yoon’s People Power Party (PPP), although the decision still needs to be ratified by the constitutional court.

After days of public pressure, the PPP decided to let its legislators vote, after a effort to impeach Yoon last week It failed when its legislators boycotted the hearing.

Thousands of anti-Yoon protesters celebrated outside the National Assembly on Saturday night after the impeachment motion was passed, and the crowd chanted as fireworks exploded overhead.

“For the people, we hope that their end of the year will be a little happier now and that all the canceled year-end celebrations will be restored,” National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik said in announcing the result.

“The future of the Republic of Korea and our hope is in the hands of the people, our hope is strong,” said Woo, a member of the main opposition Democratic Party.

There has been strong public support for Yoon’s ouster: recent polls found that three-quarters of South Koreans wanted him gone.

The constitutional court now has 180 days to decide whether Yoon should be charged or reinstated. If he decides to contest, an election for the next president must be called within 60 days.

Yoon has been suspended while Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has taken over as acting president.

However, Han and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, next in line for the presidency, are involved in an ongoing police investigation into last week’s events.

In a statement after the vote, Yoon said he will “temporarily stop my trip” but will “never give up.”

“I will take your criticism, praise and support seriously and do my best for the country until the end,” he said.

Outside the National Assembly, where tens of thousands of protesters gathered throughout the day despite the bitter cold, many spoke of their determination to see Yoon leave office permanently.

“I’m so happy the bill has been passed… At the same time, the fight is not over,” physiotherapist Sim Hee-seon told the BBC as she wiped away tears.

“We will have to wait for the court’s ruling to finalize his impeachment trial. We will continue to observe.”

Two women dressed in Rudolf costumes held signs that read, “(It will be) a merry Christmas only if Yoon Seok Yul disappears.”

Across town, at a pro-Yoon rally in Gwanghwamun Square, it was a different story. His followers remained silent after hearing the news of the vote. Some people shouted angry insults before leaving the scene.

The success of the vote depended on PPP support, as the opposition lawmakers who introduced the motion needed only eight more to join them. Last Saturday, when the opposition first attempted to unseat Yoon, it fell short by just a few votes when the PPP staged a walkout.

On Saturday, the party held a marathon meeting that began at 10 a.m. and lasted until just minutes before the voting session began, as PPP lawmakers struggled to reach a consensus on the party’s stance.

In the end, the party agreed to participate and allowed its legislators to vote according to their conscience. It looked like at least 12 of them crossed the track. Another 85 voted against impeachment.

South Korea has faced nearly two weeks of chaos and uncertainty since Yoon’s brief attempt at martial law last Tuesday.

Yoon had cited threats from “anti-state forces” and North Korea. But it soon became clear that his decision had been driven by his own internal political problems, not external threats.

Hours later he reversed the order after 190 parliamentarians rejected it, with many of them climbing fences and breaking barricades to enter the voting chamber.

He later apologized. Then on Thursday, he defended his actions, saying he did it to protect the country’s democracy and vowed to “fight until the end.”

That speech galvanized people and the president’s approval rating fell to a record low of 11%, according to a Gallup Korea poll.

Removing a president is not uncharted territory for South Korea, which last removed former President Park Geun-hye through this process in 2016.

Ironically, Yoon, then a prosecutor, had led the investigation against Park, which ultimately resulted in her impeachment.

Additional reporting by Leehyun Choi, Jake Kwon and Yuna Ku in Seoul