Seoul, South Korea—South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol was removed from office Saturday, not even a week after he made an unprecedented attempt at declaring martial law, sending his country into political chaos. Members of the National Assembly voted to suspend him on Saturday, with a dozen members of his conservative People Power Party breaking ranks to join his opposition in a decisive vote of 204-85.
This historic impeachment comes after a dramatic succession of events, starting from December 3, when the President declared martial law for the first time in 45 years. He made this move by declaring frustration at how opposition lawmakers have blocked many of his legislative agenda. Around the world, the widely condemned power play lasted only six hours, when outrage from the public and interventions from the parliament compelled the undoing.
A Nation on Edge
Shock waves swept across South Korea like a thunderstorm after Yoon declared martial law on this nation still living with memories of a military dictatorship. His troopers, deployed to the National Assembly, were met with fierce resistance by lawmakers and citizens alike, leading to mass protests throughout the country.
This is the happiest moment of my life. Democracy has prevailed, said Kim Myoung-sook, a 60-year-old protester celebrating outside Parliament. Martial law is a declaration of war on the people.
Public dissatisfaction with Yoon has been growing for months over charges of corruption surrounding his wife, Kim Keon Hee, and his inability to break the parliamentary logjam. A Gallup Korea poll released Friday said his approval rating had dropped to an all-time low of 11 percent.
Impeachment and its Aftermath
This Saturday will mark the important point where South Korean democracy was born. Lawmakers accused President Yoon of committing insurrection, a severe offense in South Korea's laws, as the president had used military forces to obstruct the parliament.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, a professional bureaucrat, serves as a caretaker following his suspension. However, he badly lacks political clout. Domestic and international concerns that South Korea faces include a nuclear threat from North Korea and shifting alliances regarding Donald Trump's return as president of the United States.
"In this difficult time, I will devote all of my strength and effort to the stable operation of the state," Han declared in a solemn speech.
A Long Road Ahead
The Constitutional Court has six months to determine whether to uphold the impeachment or reinstall Yoon in office. If Yoon is ousted from office, South Korea will be compelled to elect a new president within two months.
Yoon, however, refused to budge. Within hours after the impeachment vote, he released a video speech vowing to fight the charges, this time describing his martial law declaration as a constitutional right. "I will never give up," he said, enumerating his achievements, ranging from strengthening ties with the U.S. and Japan.
Prosecutors, meanwhile are closing in on Yoon with potential criminal charges of insurrection. According to South Korean law, ringleaders can face life imprisonment or perhaps the death sentence for inciting an uprising.
A Divided Country
The impeachment has gone further to divide South Korea's political landscape. Though opposition leaders hailed it a victory for democracy, they did warn of battles ahead that would be more challenging. “We’ve just overcome a small mountain,” said Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party." There's a larger, steeper mountain ahead." This indictment process shows how checks and balances are important in the exercise of stopping abuses of power," said Simon Henderson of Human Rights Watch.
According to political commentators, the problem is far from resolved. That's only the first chapter in a long and brutal process for this politician," says Ewha Womans University Professor Leif-Eric Easley. Yoon also faces an indigenous defense, as well as the possibility of felony executions. Korea's politics have no near-term exit ramp in sight." As South Koreans reflect on this tumultuous chapter, the street message is clear: Democracy must be defended at all costs. For now, the nation watches and waits as the Constitutional Court decides the fate of a leader who dared to test the limits of the court's power.
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