Han Dong-hoon, leader of the ruling People Power Party, bows his head during his appearance at the National Assembly in Seoul after a vote on an impeachment against President Yoon Suk Yeol was scrapped due to a lack of quorum on Dec. 7, Saturday. (Yonhap)
South Korea’s parliament failed to vote on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment on Saturday, with rival political parties sharply divided over what to do with the besieged president.
The ruling People Power Party boycotted the opposition-led impeachment motion, choosing to keep the president in office for now. The collective walkout by almost all of the conservative party’s 108 lawmakers contrasted with its participation in another parliamentary vote hours earlier, which effectively thwarted the opposition-led bid to open a special counsel investigation into first lady Kim Keon Hee.
The ruling party's risky move to leave the chamber en masse at the risk of inviting harsh denouncement from the public appeared to show their desperation to maintain the ruling party status and delay opposition leader Lee Jae-myung's momentum toward the next presidency.
Last week’s brief period of martial law, declared by Yoon in a late-night announcement, put South Korea under military rule for six hours until parliament voted to rescind martial law, with 18 lawmakers of the ruling bloc joining in the move, and Yoon officially lifting it.
Political experts said the ruling party now faces pressure to justify its response to Yoon’s shocking imposition of martial law and clarify how it will hold him responsible.
Han, in a joint press conference with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Sunday, said Yoon would step back from state affairs, including diplomacy, while the ruling party and the Cabinet pursue the president’s “early departure” from office. This approach would provide greater stability than immediate impeachment, they stressed.
"Until the president steps down, the president will effectively be suspended from his duties, and the prime minister will work in consultation with the party to ensure the seamless management of state affairs," he said. He added that he will also consult with the opposition parties throughout the process.
Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University, said, “The ruling party is bound to face the criticism that it is a faction abetting (Yoon’s) rebellion.”
He warned of severe repercussions for the ruling party over its action to protect the cornered president, who is a party member, from impeachment on Saturday.
Opposition parties are fuming over the ruling party’s decision, castigating it for choosing to be a “collaborator in Yoon’s treason” and disregarding the public’s call for Yoon to be held accountable.
Lee Jae-myung, the chairman of the main opposition Democratic Party, declared that the opposition would continue to push for Yoon’s impeachment, stressing the need to hold him accountable for the martial law fiasco.
“The Democratic Party will continue to push for an impeachment vote, every Saturday, if necessary,” the liberal party leader said. He said, "The People Power Party collaborated with Yoon’s acts of insurrection that destroyed constitutional order, and it even opposed holding him accountable. It can no longer be considered a democratic party."
Cho Kuk, the leader of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party, said what the two Hans said about cooperating to run the state while keeping Yoon in office, yet sidelined is tantamount to plotting a "second coup.” He said his party will prepare an impeachment motion against the prime minister.
South Korea’s parliament is controlled by opposition parties. The ruling conservatives hold just 108 out of 300 seats. The opposition’s 192 seats means, if united, they can exercise nearly all legislative powers except two: impeaching the president or amending the Constitution.
After the martial law unrest, the ruling party experienced significant internal shifts. Shortly after Yoon declared martial law, party leader Han called it unconstitutional and collaborated with the opposition parties to successfully rescind the measure. On Friday, he said Yoon should be stripped of his responsibilities immediately while falling short of clearly speaking of impeachment.
President Yoon, on Saturday morning, made his first public address since lifting martial law, offering an apology. He also said he would entrust the running of the country to the ruling party and the government.
Han, on Sunday morning, stressed that Yoon's address amounted to an agreement to step away from his powers and cut his term short. Yoon’s term is set to end on May 9, 2027.
A day earlier, several People Power Party-affiliated mayors and provincial governors, including Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo, issued a joint statement. They urged President Yoon to form an emergency national unity Cabinet led by a responsible prime minister and step back from front-line governance responsibilities.
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