Photo: AFP
An attempt led by opposition parties to impeach South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol due to his declaration of martial law concluded in failure on Saturday, as the motion did not reach the required quorum in the National Assembly. This outcome was primarily attributed to a boycott by members of President Yoon's conservative governing party, the People Power Party (PPP).
The motion aimed to hold President Yoon accountable for his brief imposition of martial law but was unable to secure the necessary votes. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik announced the motion's invalidity, stating that the total number of votes cast—195—fell short of the mandated two-thirds majority of 200 out of the assembly’s 300 members. "The number of members who voted did not reach the required two-thirds majority of the total members. Therefore, I declare that the vote on this matter is not valid," remarked Speaker Woo.
The impeachment motion was introduced by opposition parties, which hold 192 seats in the National Assembly. Notably, only three members of the PPP participated in the vote, which effectively ensured the motion's failure. As the motion did not meet the required threshold of 200 votes, no ballot count was conducted, and the attempt at impeachment was promptly dismissed.