South Korea’s parliament yesterday failed to pass President Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment motion as most of the ruling People Power Party lawmakers refused to vote on it.
After voting against a bill to investigate scandals involving Yoon’s wife, most of the 108 ruling party lawmakers left the parliament hall.
One ruling party lawmaker remained at the hall and two came back after leaving.
Of 300 National Assembly lawmakers, 198 voted for the bill on the special prosecutor investigation of the first lady, with 102 against it. At least two-thirds of the lawmakers need to vote yes to pass the bill in revote.
Lawmakers in South Korea have narrowly failed to impeach the nation’s president over his short-lived attempt to declare martial law.
A bill to censure Yoon Suk Yeol fell three votes short of the 200 needed to pass, with many members of parliament in the ruling People Power Party (PPP) boycotting the vote.
The South Korean premier sparked widespread shock and anger when he declared military rule – associated with authoritarianism in the country – on Tuesday, in a bid to break out of a political stalemate.
Yoon’s declaration was quickly overturned by parliament, before his government rescinded it a few hours later in the midst of large protests.
The impeachment bill needed a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly to pass, meaning at least eight PPP MPs would have to vote in favour.
However, all but three walked out of the chamber earlier yesterday.
One of those who remained, Cho Kyung-tae, credited Yoon’s apology for the martial law decree on Saturday morning – after three days out of public view – as having influenced his decision not to back impeachment this time.
“The president’s apology and his willingness to step down early, as well as delegating all political agendas to the party, did have an impact on my decision,” he told the BBC ahead of the vote.
Cho said he believed impeachment would hand the presidency to the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), Lee Jae-myung.
