South Korean Parliament Votes To Impeach Prez Yoon, Know What Can Happen To Him Now

Seoul: South Korea’s parliament on Saturday voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his martial law declaration earlier this month, according to reports.

The motion with 204-85 vote in this regard was passed in the National Assembly, reported the AFP.

Yoon’s presidential powers and duties will be suspended after the copies of a document on the impeachment are delivered to him. The documents will also be delivered to the Constitutional Court, which now has up to 180 days to determine whether to dismiss Yoon as the President or not.

If he’s thrown out of office, an election will be conducted in the country to choose the next President. The national election must be held within 60 days.

Yoon was banned from leaving the country as law enforcement authorities were investigating whether he and others involved in the martial law declaration had rebelled and abused power, among other crimes. He may face death penalty if convicted, reported the Indian Express.

Yoon earlier exercised the presidential privilege of immunity from criminal prosecution. But the same does not extend to allegations of rebellion or treason. He could also be investigated, detained, arrested or indicted over his martial law decree, according to AFP.

Yoon’s defense minister, police chief and the head of Seoul’s metropolitan police agency had already been arrested over their roles in the case. Other senior military and government officials are also facing probe.

Know what’s the controversy

After declaring the law, Yoon had sent his troops and police personnel to the Parliament in an attempt to impede its vote on the decree before withdrawing the same as the parliament had rejected it. Opposition parties had accused Yoon of rebellion, claiming that he had no rights to suspend parliament’s operations.

The impeachment motion alleged that Yoon “committed rebellion that hurts peace on the Republic of Korea by staging a series of riots.” The resolution also claimed that Yoon’s mobilization of military and police forces threatened the National Assembly and the public. It alleged that the martial law decree was aimed at disturbing the Constitution.

Yoon had rejected the rebellion charges. He called the martial law order “an act of governance”, which aimed to issue a warning to the main liberal opposition Democratic Party. He called the party “a monster” and “anti-state forces.”

Soon after Yoon imposed his martial law decree on December 3, which lasted only six hours, a political turmoil erupted in the country as thousands of people took to the streets of Seoul, calling for the Yoon’s ouster and arrest.