A vote to impeach South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol over his brief imposition of martial law fell through on Saturday after members of his party walked out.
The outcome is expected to intensify public protests calling for Mr Yoon’s ousting and deepen political chaos in South Korea, with a survey suggesting a majority of South Koreans support the president’s impeachment.
While lawmakers debated the motion, introduced by the main opposition Democratic Party, only a single member of Mr Yoon’s People Power Party (PPP) remained in his seat while a couple of others returned during voting, casting doubt over whether the measure would have enough votes to pass.
The lull was an counterpoint to the shouts and cursing that had preceded the vote in parliament, held four days after Mr Yoon placed Asia’s fourth-largest economy into its greatest political crisis in decades, threatening to shatter South Korea’s reputation as a democratic success story.
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The opposition needed at least eight votes from the PPP to reach the necessary two-thirds majority. As PPP lawmakers departed after casting votes on a separate motion to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the first lady, some people shouted and cursed them.
When the debate on the impeachment motion began, opposition lawmakers recited the names of the PPP members who had left.
One of the PPP members who returned told reporters he had voted against the impeachment motion as he did not agree with the Bill, but still thought Mr Yoon was not qualified to be president. Opposition leaders said they would revisit the impeachment motion on Wednesday if it failed the first time.
Mr Yoon apologised the nation for his attempt to impose martial law but did not resign, defying intense pressure to step down, even from some in his ruling party. He said he would not seek to avoid legal and political responsibility for his decision to declare martial law for the first time in South Korea in 44 years. He said the decision was born of desperation.
Saturday's televised speech was the embattled leader's first public appearance since he rescinded the martial law order six hours after declaring it, when parliament defied military and police cordons to vote unanimously against his decree.
“I leave it up to my party to take steps to stabilise the political situation in the future, including the issue of my term in office,” Mr Yoon said in the address to the nation, promising there would be no second attempt to impose martial law.
Han Dong-hoon, leader of Mr Yoon’s ruling party, said after the address that the president was no longer in a position to carry out his public duties and his resignation was now unavoidable.
He said on Friday that Mr Yoon was a danger to the country and needed to be removed from power, increasing the pressure on him to quit even though PPP members later reaffirmed a formal opposition to his impeachment.
If Mr Yoon leaves office before his single five-year term ends in May 2027, the constitution requires a presidential election to be held within 60 days upon his departure.
Martial law has been declared more than a dozen times since South Korea was established as a republic in 1948, the last time in 1980.
Mr Yoon shocked the nation late on Tuesday when he gave the military sweeping emergency powers to combat unspecified threats from “North Korean communist forces”, and “to eradicate the shameless pro-North anti-state forces”.
He went on to accuse the national assembly of launching an unprecedented number of impeachment efforts against members of his administration, effectively paralysing key operations, and of handling the budget in a way that undermined the fundamental functions of the government, including public safety.
He has been dogged by personal scandals and strife, an unyielding opposition and rifts within his own party. Once regarded as a tough political survivor he has become increasingly isolated.
Protester Choi Yong-Ho (60) said he was furious at the prospect that the impeachment Bill might not succeed, but vowed to keep coming to future protests. “We have to make our voices heard,” he said. – Reuters