South Korea's parliament votes to impeach president Yoon Suk-yeol Over martial law order

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has been impeached by the National Assembly following his brief attempt to impose martial law, which triggered a political crisis mid-way through his presidency.

The assembly voted 204 to 85 on December 14 to impeach Yoon, with three abstentions and eight invalid votes, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The vote, conducted by secret ballot, required two-thirds majority for impeachment, and all 300 assembly members participated. The result, met with gasps within the chamber and cheers from thousands of protesters outside, signals significant political unrest.

The mood in the assembly was described as “sombre,” though the political stand-off is far from over. Yoon has vowed to contest the impeachment in court. Meanwhile, his suspension from office is automatic as South Korea’s Constitutional Court deliberates his case.

The court has up to 180 days to decide, and if it affirms the impeachment, Yoon would become only the second South Korean president to be successfully removed from office, following Park Geun-hye’s impeachment in 2016.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is temporarily assuming presidential duties. The impeachment vote came after Yoon’s conservative People Power Party (PPP) initially boycotted a previous vote, preventing a quorum.

However, party leader Han Dong-hoon encouraged participation in the latest vote, although PPP maintains opposition to Yoon’s removal.

Ahead of the vote, tensions were high, with around 200,000 people gathering in Seoul in opposing rallies. Speaker Woo Won-shik emphasized the historical significance of the vote, while opposition leader Park Chan-dae called Yoon the “ringleader of the insurrection,” framing the impeachment as essential for protecting the constitution.

Yoon’s approval rating has plunged to 11 percent, with a Gallup Korea poll showing 75 percent public support for his impeachment, marking a stark decline from his earlier approval of 19 percent.

By Aghakazim Guliyev