WILL PROTESTS CONTINUE?
The vast protests both for and against Yoon that have rocked the Seoul are likely to continue in a push to pressure the Constitutional Court.
“Those in favour of Yoon’s removal are likely to rally at Gwanghwamun Square near the Constitutional Court,” Bae Kang-hoon, a co-founder of the political think tank Valid, said.
Protesters on both sides have told AFP they would keep coming to the streets until the court delivers its ruling.
“I will certainly protest at the court to demand it reject the impeachment,” Cho Hee-sun, a Yoon supporter, told AFP at a rally on Saturday before the parliamentary vote.
Kim Cho-rong, who marched on Saturday urging members of parliament (MPs) to impeach Yoon, said she would “keep coming out for the next few weeks to make my voice heard by the judges”.
WHO MIGHT BE THE NEXT PRESIDENT?
Opposition leader Lee is the clear frontrunner for the presidency, analysts say.
“Lee has demonstrated strong leadership during the turbulent days since the martial law declaration and played a key role in passing the impeachment motion,” said attorney and political columnist Yoo Jung-hoon.
Lee, who rose from humble beginnings as a “factory boy” and a teenage school dropout supporting his family, has leveraged his rags-to-riches story to build political stardom.
In the 2022 election, Lee lost to Yoon by the narrowest vote margin in South Korea’s electoral history, with a gap of around 0.7 per cent.
But his bid for the presidency has been overshadowed by a series of scandals, including a court ruling in November finding him guilty of election law violations, resulting in a suspended sentence.
If the verdict is upheld, it would strip him of eligibility to run for office.
From Yoon’s conservative People Power Party, party leader Han Dong-hoon and Seoul mayor Oh Se-hoon are seen as potential contenders.
Despite his legal challenges, Lee “stands far ahead” in the potential race, Yoo said.
“While uncertainty lingers over his ongoing trial, it remains to be seen whether an appellate court will uphold the suspended sentence and deliver its ruling before an election,” he said.
“Legal proceedings against Lee will come to a halt if he wins the election, granting him immunity as president.”
A poll last week showed more than 52 per cent of eligible voters favour Lee as the next president, with all other potential contenders trailing in single digits.
