On December 14, 2024, South Korea’s National Assembly successfully voted to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol. The motion passed with 204 votes in favor, 85 against, 3 abstentions, and 8 invalid votes, surpassing the required two-thirds majority in the 300-member Assembly. This followed Yoon’s controversial actions, including his short-lived declaration of martial law earlier in December, which sparked public and political backlash.
The impeachment charges included abuse of power, obstructing the Assembly’s ability to overturn his martial law decree, and ordering the detention of political and civil society leaders. This vote highlights the strength of South Korea’s democratic institutions and their capacity to hold leaders accountable, even under significant pressure.
On Saturday, December 7, 2024, South Korea’s National Assembly held a critical vote on the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol following a controversial attempt to impose martial law earlier in the week. Despite significant public protests and escalating tensions, the impeachment motion failed due to a lack of quorum in Parliament. Only 195 members were present, falling short of the required 200 to proceed with the vote.
This impeachment effort arose after President Yoon’s declaration of martial law, which included orders to detain lawmakers—a move that sparked widespread outrage and was deemed unconstitutional. Although Yoon later apologized and retracted the martial law order, opposition parties and civic groups continued to push for his removal, citing risks to democracy and constitutional order​.
President Yoon declared martial law on the evening of December 3, 2024. The decree attempted to ban political activities, restrict freedoms, and deploy the military to suppress opposition, including preventing lawmakers from voting to revoke the declaration. However, intense backlash from the military, lawmakers, and the public forced Yoon to withdraw the order within hours​.
