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South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed to “never give up” after the country’s parliament voted to impeach him on Saturday.
Describing his impeachment as a “temporary pause,” Yoon, who launched a failed attempt to impose military rule on Asia’s fourth-largest economy last week, ago, said in a televised speech that he was “disappointed to think that all my efforts [as president] may be useless”.
He added: “Even though I am pausing now, the journey towards the future that I have accompanied with everyone during the past two and a half years will never stop.”
Yoon’s comments came after parliament voted to impeach him 204 to 85.
Yoon was suspended from his duties and his constitutional powers were transferred to prime minister Han Duck-soo on a temporary basis while the country’s constitutional court weighs whether to approve Yoon’s removal. from the position of head of state or not.
The constitutional court is expected to issue a ruling within six months of the parliamentary vote, but this deadline is not binding. If Yoon is removed from office, a presidential election must be held within 60 days.
“My heart is very heavy,” Han told reporters after the vote as he promised to do his best to bring about a period of stable government.
Opposition parties, which hold a total of 192 seats in the 300-seat legislature, only need the support of eight out of 108 lawmakers from the president’s People Power Party (PPP) to secure a majority. number 2/3 needed.
Yoon survived an impeachment move last Saturday after lawmakers from the conservative PPP party boycotted the vote. But the mood in the party began to turn against him on Thursday after a speech in which the president criticized his critics and vowed to “fight to the end.”
While PPP’s official policy remains against Yoon’s impeachment, leader Han Dong-hoon said on Thursday that members should vote according to their conscience. All 300 parliamentary deputies participated in the vote, which was held through secret balloting. Three votes were abstinent, while there were eight invalid votes.
“Yoon caused a rebellion that paralyzed the constitutional order,” Park Chan-dae, class leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), told lawmakers before the walkout. votes.
“Parliament must suspend its mandate using the powers granted by the constitution,” he added. “This is the fastest and most orderly way to resolve the situation.”
The result was greeted with cheers and applause from tens of thousands of people who gathered outside the parliament building in Seoul to urge lawmakers to vote on impeachment.
“I am very happy now, but this is just the beginning,” said Seo Mi-ju, a protester who works in education. “I will fight to the end until he is captured and punished.”
Simon Henderson, deputy Asia director of the advocacy group Human Rights Watch, said that Yoon’s impeachment “serves as a reminder of how close democratic South Korea has come to the brink of martial law.” how, recalling the country’s state of martial law.” The dark history of military dictatorship”.
“Instead, the Korean people and lawmakers stood up and fought to protect their democracy and human rights,” he added. “The impeachment proceedings highlight the importance of checks and balances in preventing abuses of power and supporting the rule of law.”
Analysts say Saturday’s vote is unlikely to mark the end of the political turmoil.
Yoon is accused of sending troops to storm parliament in a failed attempt to prevent lawmakers from voting to reject a decree imposing military rule.
Some opposition voices say that Prime Minister Han, now interim president, should also be impeached for his role in martial law as head of Yoon’s cabinet.
The last South Korean president to be impeached was conservative Park Geun-hye, who was ousted in 2017 after a bribery and influence-peddling scandal sparked massive street protests.
