South Korea’s parliament voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday in a historic rebuke following his refusal to resign over his brief attempt to impose martial law. This move came after his own ruling party turned against him.
The impeachment marks the second time in less than a decade that a South Korean president has faced such proceedings. As a result, Yoon is suspended from exercising his presidential powers until the country’s Constitutional Court rules on the matter.
After the vote, which prompted celebrations from protesters outside parliament, Yoon acknowledged the situation, stating, “I will stop temporarily for now, but the journey to the future that I’ve walked with the people for the past two years should not stop.”
“I will not give up,” he said in a statement issued by the presidential office. “With all the encouragement and support for me in mind, I will do my best until the last moment for the nation.”
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who will serve as acting president in accordance with South Korean law, assured reporters that he would “devote all my strength and effort to the stable operation of state affairs.”
Kang Sun-woo, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party, told CNN on Saturday that South Korea's “great democracy will survive and be reborn” following President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment.
The dramatic decision culminates a tense political standoff that began when Yoon briefly declared martial law on December 3, deploying soldiers to parliament. Lawmakers fought their way past the troops to enter the building and vote down the decree. Yoon’s gamble backfired, sparking widespread calls for his removal across South Korea’s vibrant democracy.
Opposition parties attempted to impeach Yoon a week earlier, but the vote failed after members of his ruling People Power Party boycotted it, hoping the president would voluntarily step down. Yoon then took a defiant stance, delivering a speech on Thursday in which he defended his martial law decision, attacked the opposition, claimed he was trying to save the country, and vowed to “fight until the last moment with the people.”
However, moments before his speech, the leader of Yoon's own party withdrew his support and backed impeachment as “the only way… to defend democracy,” urging lawmakers to vote according to their conscience.
Thousands of protesters gathered in Seoul on Saturday, braving the cold to demand Yoon’s resignation ahead of the impeachment vote, which passed with 204 lawmakers in favor and 85 against.
One protester, Lim Dong Eon, told CNN outside the National Assembly: “He surely tried to have a war against the citizens, so this is just what he deserved.” As the vote passed, protests outside the building turned into celebrations.
Another protester summed it up simply, telling CNN: “Democracy is back!”
Meanwhile, thousands of President Yoon's supporters gathered in downtown Seoul, waving U.S. and South Korean flags, chanting slogans, and holding signs in defense of the embattled leader.
Yoon, who has been immediately suspended from his duties, now awaits a ruling by South Korea's Constitutional Court to determine his fate. The process could take up to six months.
Moon Hyung-bae, the acting chief justice of the Constitutional Court, stated on Saturday that a meeting would be held on Monday to discuss the case's schedule, assuring that the process would be handled "swiftly and fairly."
If the impeachment is upheld, Yoon will become the second South Korean president to be ousted through impeachment, following Park Geun-hye, the country's first female leader.
The acting president, Han Duck-soo, also faces political challenges of his own. He is under investigation for his involvement in the martial law decision, which further fuels the political uncertainty in the coming weeks.
Yoon, a former prosecutor and conservative firebrand, has struggled during his two years in office, facing low approval ratings and political scandals involving his wife and key appointments.
Since taking office in 2022, President Yoon has faced significant political gridlock with an opposition-majority parliament, which blocked his efforts to advance legislation aimed at cutting taxes and easing business regulations. His main rivals in the Democratic Party used their majority to impeach key cabinet members and stall a crucial budget bill.
Yoon’s administration also launched a crackdown on what he labeled “fake news,” with police and prosecutors raiding several media outlets, including MBC and JTBC, as well as the homes of journalists.
Frustrated by the ongoing political deadlock, Yoon argued that his bold power move was necessary to break the stalemate. His decision to declare martial law stunned not only members of his own party but also many military leaders.
In his late-night address announcing the declaration of martial law, Yoon accused the opposition of engaging in “anti-state” activities and colluding with North Korea, though he provided no evidence to support these claims—a charge his opponents strongly denied. Yoon framed his actions as the only way to resolve the political gridlock in parliament.
The move sparked shock and outrage across the country, particularly given South Korea’s painful history with martial law under decades of military dictatorship, which ended in the 1980s with a hard-fought transition to democracy.
Dramatic scenes unfolded that night as security forces broke through windows at the National Assembly in an attempt to block lawmakers from entering, while protesters clashed with riot police.
Since then, pressure on President Yoon has mounted, with police, parliament, prosecutors, and the anti-corruption body all launching separate investigations into him on charges of treason. On Tuesday, lawmakers approved the appointment of a special counsel to investigate whether Yoon committed insurrection and abused his power by declaring martial law.
The following day, South Korean police raided the presidential office, a presidential security official confirmed to CNN. Yoon has also been prohibited from leaving the country.
Last week, prosecutors detained former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who allegedly recommended the imposition of martial law and resigned in the wake of the scandal. Kim reportedly attempted to take his own life while in custody late Tuesday, according to the head of the country's correctional service.
On Thursday, Yoon claimed that he had only discussed the martial law decree with Kim before making the decision. Meanwhile, parliament has already impeached both Yoon’s justice minister and police chief over the crisis.
Senior government officials have testified at various hearings in the past week, revealing shocking details about the night the martial law order was issued. Special Warfare Command Commander Kwak Jong-geun testified that he received a direct order from Yoon to break into the National Assembly and remove lawmakers, but he refused to comply.
South Korea, a key East Asian economy and a vital U.S. regional ally, now faces months of political uncertainty, reminiscent of the tumultuous period surrounding the 2016-2017 impeachment crisis. At that time, President Park Geun-hye was impeached by lawmakers over corruption charges, removed from office by the Constitutional Court, jailed, and later pardoned.
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