South Korea’s president vows to ‘never give in’ after impeachment vote

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South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has vowed to “not give in” after the country’s parliament voted to impeach him on Saturday.

Describing his impeachment as a “temporary lull”, Yoon, who launched a failed attempt to impose military rule in Asia’s fourth-largest economy last week, said in a televised speech that he was “frustrated think that all my efforts (as president) may have been in vain”.

He added: “Although I am taking a break now, the journey to the future that I have walked with people for the past two and a half years should not stop.

Yoon’s comments come after the national court voted for his impeachment by a margin of 204 to 85.

The vote means Yoon will be suspended and his constitutional powers transferred to prime minister Han Duck-soo temporarily while the country’s legislature considers whether to accept Yoon’s removal. and head of state.

The constitutional court must reach a decision within six months after the election of the parliament, but this period is not mandatory. Once the decision is issued, presidential elections must be held within 60 days.

“My heart is very heavy,” Han told reporters after the election as he promised to do his best to deliver a term of stable rule.

The opposition parties, which hold a combined 192 seats in the 300-seat legislature, only needed the support of eight of the 108 lawmakers of the president’s People Power Party (PPP) to secure the required majority. two thirds.

Yoon survived the impeachment process last Saturday after PPP lawmakers boycotted the election. But party sentiment began to turn against him on Thursday after a speech in which the president lashed out at critics and vowed to “fight to the end”.

While the PPP’s official policy has denied Yoon’s accusation, leader Han Dong-hoon said on Thursday that members should vote with their conscience. All 300 members of the national assembly participated in the election, which was held by secret ballot. Three refused, while there were eight invalid votes.

“Yoon caused a rebellion that disrupted the constitutional order,” Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), told lawmakers ahead of the election.

“The National Assembly must stop his activities with the power given by the constitution,” he added. “This is the fastest and most orderly way to resolve the situation.”

The result was greeted with cheers and applause by tens of thousands of people who had gathered outside the parliament building in Seoul to urge lawmakers to vote to impeach.

“I’m very happy now, but this is just the beginning,” said Seo Mi-ju, a spokeswoman for the study. “I will fight to the end until he is caught and punished.”

Simon Henderson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said Yoon’s indictment “serves as a reminder of how close South Korea is to military democracy, to martial law.” the dark history of military dictatorship“.

“Instead, South Korean people and lawmakers stood up and fought to protect their democracy and human rights,” he added. “The prosecutions highlight how important checks and balances are to stop abuse of power and uphold the rule of law.”

Analysts said Saturday’s election would not mark the end of political unrest.

Yoon is accused of sending troops to storm the national assembly in a failed attempt to prevent lawmakers from voting against his order to control the military.

Some opposition voices have suggested that Prime Minister Han, who is now interim president, should also be charged for his role in the martial law program as Yoon’s cabinet chief.

The last South Korean president to be impeached was Park Geun-hye, who was ousted in 2017 after bribery and influence peddling led to massive street protests.