South Korea’s parliament has voted to impeach President Yoon Yeol over his short-lived attempt to impose martial law earlier this month.
On Saturday, the country’s National Assembly voted by 204 to 85 to impeach Yeol and suspend his powers and duties, the Associated Press reported.
The motion required the support of two-thirds of lawmakers to pass. At least 200,000 people had gathered outside parliament in support of removing the president, according to AFP.
Yeol survived a first impeachment vote December 7 after most of his ruling People Power Party (PPP) boycotted it.
Recall that Yeol issued a martial law decree on December 3, which caused nationwide political turmoil. It lasted only six hours as the country’s parliament voted to block the decree.
South Korea’s Constitutional Court has 180 days to decide whether to dismiss Yeol as president or restore his powers. If he is forced out, an election to choose his successor must be held within 60 days.
Yeol’s refusal to resign and his insistence that he was right to declare martial law convinced some lawmakers from his own party to cross the aisle and meet the two-thirds majority, or 200 votes, required to oust him, The Washington Post reported.
