South Korean President Yoon Impeached After Second Vote Over Martial Law Attempt

Dec 14, 2024, 08:08 AM

On December 14, 2024, South Korea's opposition-led parliament voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived attempt earlier this month to impose martial law. The impeachment motion, passed by a vote of 204 to 85 with three abstentions and eight voided votes, followed a previous failed attempt a week earlier that was boycotted by his party. This time, lawmakers from both the opposition and members of his own ruling People Power Party participated in the vote. The decision comes less than two weeks after President Yoon shocked the nation by briefly declaring martial law—a move that plunged the country into political turmoil, split his party, and imperiled his presidency halfway through his term. Despite defending his controversial decree and vowing to resist calls for his ouster, the president has been suspended from his official duties pending a Constitutional Court review.