South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol Escapes Impeachment Efforts In Parliament

JAKARTA - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol survived impeachment efforts after the vote in parliament failed to reach the required number of votes. As the BBC reported on Saturday, December 7, the impeachment proposal was less than three votes out of the two-thirds majority needed, namely 200 votes.

Most of the members of the People's Power Party (PPP), Yoon's supporting party, chose not to attend the vote. Only three PPP members remained in the courtroom.

One of them, Cho Kyung-tae, revealed that President Yoon's apology and his promise to hand over the political agenda to the party had affected his decision.

"The president's apology and his willingness to step down early made me decide not to support impeachment," Cho said.

This impeachment attempt comes after President Yoon declared martial law, a move that has been heavily criticized as a form of authoritarianism. However, the decision was overturned by parliament and the government within hours of massive protests.

The chairman of the Korean Democratic Party (DPK), Lee Jae-myung, stated that his party will continue to try to impeach Yoon, which he calls a major threat to South Korean democracy.

The impeachment of the president is nothing new in South Korea. In 2016, President Park Geun-hye was impeached after being involved in a major scandal.

If Yoon's impeachment is approved by parliament, the case will go to a constitutional court, where two-thirds of judges must agree to impose permanent impeachment.

Despite qualifying this time, pressure on Yoon Suk Yeol's government is expected to continue amid heated political situations.