What will happen next in South Korea?
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A woman holding a sign that reads "Yoon Suk Yeol should step down" during a candlelight vigil against Mr Yoon in Seoul on Dec 4.
PHOTO: AFP
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SEOUL – South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol faces an impeachment vote on Dec 7,
Here is a look at how the dramatic events of the past few days unfolded in a country where democracy had been assumed to be firmly anchored – and what might happen next.
What did Mr Yoon do?
He announced late on Dec 3 in an address to the nation that martial law was being imposed
The suspension of civilian rule was to protect the country from “threats posed by North Korea’s communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements plundering people’s freedom and happiness”, Mr Yoon said.
Then a six-point decree from army chief Park An-su, installed as martial law commander, banned political activities and parties, “false propaganda”, strikes and “gatherings that incite social unrest”.
What happened at parliament?
Security forces sealed the National Assembly, helicopters landed on the roof and soldiers tried to lock down the building, seemingly to prevent lawmakers from getting inside.
But as parliamentary staffers blocked the soldiers with sofas and fire extinguishers, enough MPs – some leaping over barriers – got inside to vote down Mr Yoon’s move.
This brought cheers from the thousands of protesters braving bitter temperatures outside, many waving national flags and chanting for Mr Yoon to be arrested.
Several tense hours followed before Mr Yoon appeared on television again at around 4.30am to rescind martial law.
What is next for Mr Yoon?
On Dec 4, six opposition parties filed an impeachment motion
If it passes, Mr Yoon will be suspended pending a verdict by the Constitutional Court, which has to rule within 180 days. In the meantime, the prime minister would be acting president.
If the President is impeached, a new presidential election must be held within 60 days.
Will the impeachment motion pass?
An opposition block hold 192 seats in the 300-member Parliament, so the motion needs only eight defections from the President’s People Power Party (PPP) for the necessary two-thirds majority.
However, on Dec 5, the head of the PPP said that while he had demanded Mr Yoon leave the party over his “unconstitutional martial law”, he would block the impeachment motion.
“All 108 lawmakers of the People Power Party will stay united to reject the President’s impeachment,” party floor leader Choo Kyung-ho said.
But whether they all toe the line – in particular, 18 PPP lawmakers who voted against martial law – remains to be seen.
What about legal proceedings?
Even if Mr Yoon – who has gone to ground since the early hours of Dec 4 – avoids impeachment, the 63-year-old could still face legal problems.
Police are investigating him for “insurrection”, a crime which is not covered by presidential immunity and can carry the death penalty.
Police are also probing Interior Minister Lee Sang-min and Mr Kim Yong-hyun, the defence minister whose resignation was accepted on Dec 5 and who is now barred from leaving the country.
Lawmakers have been grilling senior figures, including General Park, who acted as Mr Yoon’s martial law commander and who says he was not informed beforehand.
What explains Mr Yoon’s behaviour?
Mr Yoon has lurched from scandal to scandal including over a deadly Halloween crush in 2022 his wife accepting a designer handbag
His mother-in-law was sentenced to one year in prison for forging financial documents in a real estate deal. She was released in May 2024.
More recently, the opposition slashed Mr Yoon’s budget. He complained that “all key budgets essential to the nation’s core functions” were being cut. AFP
