South Korea president escapes impeachment over martial law fiasco

AFP | Seoul, South Korea

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South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol escaped impeachment Saturday over his brief declaration of martial law, after lawmakers from his ruling party boycotted a vote despite huge protests outside parliament. Yoon stunned the nation and the international community on Tuesday night by suspending civilian rule and sending troops to parliament, but was forced into a U-turn after lawmakers nixed his decree.

Opposition parties proposed the impeachment motion, which needed 200 votes in the 300-member parliament to pass, but a near-total boycott by Yoon’s People Power Party (PPP) doomed it to failure. “The number of members who voted did not reach the required two-thirds majority,” National Assembly speaker Woo Won-shik said, saying that as a result, the impeachment vote was “not valid”.

The country -- and the world -- was watching, he said, adding it was “very regrettable that a vote could not even be held on such a significant national issue”. He said it signified “a failure to engage in the democratic process” on the part of the ruling party