Yoon Suk Yeol survives impeachment vote after ruling party lawmakers walk out

South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol survived an impeachment motion on 7 December 2024, as the National Assembly’s vote fell five short of the required two-thirds majority.

The motion, which would have received 194 votes in favour, was derailed in part by ruling People Power Party (PPP) lawmakers walking out of the session to avoid participation.

The walkout was widely interpreted as a strategic move by the PPP to prevent potential defections within its ranks.

Since impeachment votes in South Korea are cast anonymously, concerns reportedly grew within the ruling party that some members might support the motion under public and political pressure.

“You must vote,” National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik urged lawmakers during the plenary session, calling on them to fulfil their constitutional responsibilities. Despite this, all but three PPP lawmakers left the chamber, ensuring the motion would not pass.

Opposition motion and public outrage

The impeachment motion was filed by the opposition Democratic Party and five smaller opposition groups after Yoon briefly declared martial law earlier in the week, a move widely criticised as a violation of the Constitution.

Opposition lawmakers argued that Yoon’s actions constituted a severe abuse of presidential power, warranting immediate removal.

Under South Korean law, an impeachment motion requires the support of at least two-thirds of the 300-member National Assembly to pass.

As the vote unfolded, opposition lawmakers sought to shame absent PPP members by calling out their names in the plenary session.

Park Yong-jin, a Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmaker, led the effort, urging those who had previously voted to lift the state of emergency to return and vote on the motion.

Park Yong-jin, a Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) calling out the names of the lawmakers who walked out

With each name called, DPK members stood in unison to echo the name, amplifying the pressure on the absent lawmakers.

Despite these efforts, the walkout proved decisive.

Most PPP lawmakers left the chamber, with only three—Ahn Cheol-soo, Kim Yea-ji, and Kim Sang-wook—remaining to participate in the vote. Kim Sang-wook later confirmed he voted against the motion, standing by his party’s decision to block the impeachment.

With only 192 opposition lawmakers participating in the vote, the defection of at least eight PPP lawmakers was necessary. The walkout made that threshold unattainable.

Before the vote, PPP leader Han Dong-hoon publicly acknowledged the gravity of the situation, stating that “the normal performance of the president’s duties is impossible under the current circumstances.”

However, the party collectively decided to block the impeachment attempt, aligning with its public position of supporting Yoon’s presidency.

Protests and public backlash

The impeachment motion sparked massive public protests outside the National Assembly, with hundreds of thousands of demonstrators demanding President Yoon Suk Yeol’s resignation.

Protesters carried banners reading “impeach Yoon” and “insurrection criminal,” encircling the Assembly building to pressure lawmakers into voting for impeachment.

Some attempted to scale police barricades, but others urged peaceful demonstrations, reflecting a unified outcry against Yoon’s controversial declaration of martial law earlier in the week.

The scale and intensity of the protests highlighted Yoon’s declining popularity and widespread calls for accountability.

Yoon’s response and political fallout

Hours before the vote, Yoon, 63, apologised in a televised address for the political turmoil caused by his actions but stopped short of resigning. “I caused anxiety and inconvenience to the public. I sincerely apologise,” he said, adding that his party would determine measures to stabilise the situation.

Despite surviving the vote, Yoon faces mounting political and public pressure.

Analysts suggest further turmoil lies ahead, with opposition parties mobilising support to challenge his presidency and PPP contending with internal dissent and external criticism over its handling of the crisis.