SEOUL: South Korean lawmakers on Saturday (Dec 14) voted to remove President Yoon Suk Yeol from office for his failed attempt to impose martial law last week.
Out of 300 lawmakers, 204 voted to impeach the president on allegations of insurrection while 85 voted against it.
Three abstained, with eight votes nullified.
Under the constitution, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who was appointed by Yoon, becomes the acting president.
South Korea’s main opposition party on Saturday hailed the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol as a “victory of the people” after the country’s parliament voted to suspend him from office.
“Today’s impeachment is the great victory of the people,” Democratic Party floor leader Park Chan-dae said following the vote.
Although suspended, Yoon remains in office while South Korea’s Constitutional Court deliberates whether to uphold his removal.
If Yoon is removed from office, a snap election will be called. The court now has 180 days to rule on Yoon’s future.
Yoon shocked the nation late on Dec 3 when he gave the military sweeping emergency powers in order to root out what he called “anti-state forces” and overcome obstructionist political opponents.
He later apologised to the nation but also defended his decision and resisted calls to resign ahead of the vote.
A Seoul police official told AFP at least 200,000 people had massed outside parliament in support of removing the president.
On the other side of Seoul near Gwanghwamun Square, police estimated 30,000 had rallied in support of Yoon, blasting patriotic songs and waving South Korean and American flags.
“Yoon had no choice but to declare martial law. I approve of every decision he has made as president,” supporter Choi Hee-sun, 62, told AFP before the vote.
