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SEOUL, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached Saturday over his short-lived martial law decree, with twelve lawmakers from his own party joining the opposition to pass the motion in the National Assembly. The impeachment motion was passed with a vote of 204-85. Three lawmakers abstained and eight votes were declared invalid.
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Yoon survived a first impeachment attempt last weekend as all but three members of his ruling People Power Party boycotted the vote. This time, however, just enough party members defected to push the vote past the two-thirds threshold needed in the 300-member parliament. The Democratic Party-led opposition controls 192 seats in the National Assembly.
"From the moment martial law was declared until this very hour, the earnestness, courage and dedication the people have shown in defense of democracy have guided us to this decision," Woo Won-shik, the speaker of the National Assembly, said in a statement after the vote.
"Together, let us take a step forward to the next phase," Woo said. "The National Assembly and the Korean government will work hand in hand to stabilize the people's livelihoods and daily lives as swiftly as possible."
Yoon acknowledged the impeachment decision and urged an end to the "politics of recklessness and confrontation."
"I am pausing for now, but the journey toward the future that I have walked with the people for the past two and a half years should never stop," Yoon said in a public address recorded at his residence.
"I will never give up. I will keep all the criticism, encouragement, and support in my heart, and do my best for the country until the very end," he said.
The embattled president appeared to lose the support of key allies, including PPP leader Han Dong-hoon, with a defiant speech Thursday in which he defended his decision to declare martial law on Dec. 3.
Yoon's martial declaration was overturned just hours later by the National Assembly in a dramatic early morning emergency vote.
"Yoon Suk Yeol was the ringleader of this insurrection," Rep. Park Chan-dae, the floor leader of the opposition Democratic Party, said in the main hall of the National Assembly ahead of the vote.
"We have to suspend his duties right now. That is the only way for us to work for our people," Park said. "He is sending shockwaves not only through the political situation but also the diplomatic and economic situation. By impeaching we have to show the world that our democracy is working as it should be."
Yoon's fate is now in the hands of the Constitutional Court, which must decide whether to confirm the impeachment within 180 days. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will relieve Yoon of his duties and step in as interim leader during this period.
A crowd estimated at more than 200,000 gathered near the National Assembly ahead of the vote, calling for Yoon's removal with banners and chants. When the impeachment results were announced, loud cheers erupted and the mood turned exuberant. K-pop music echoed down a main boulevard and elated protesters danced and sang along, waving the electric light sticks that have become a symbol of the anti-Yoon rallies.
"We feel proud," 30-year-old Yoo Jae-in said. "We defended our democracy. Our mothers and fathers fought against a military government. Now we've also fought against an unfair government."
South Korea only held its first free presidential elections in 1987 after years of pro-democracy demonstrations that were often met with brutal crackdowns by a military regime.
Yoon's impeachment is the third in South Korea over the past two decades, reflecting its combative political arena. In 2004, then-president Roh Moo-hyun was impeached by the parliament, but the Constitutional Court did not back his removal.
Former President Park Geun-hye was impeached and removed from power by the court in 2017.
Yoon is also facing criminal investigations for treason and abuse of power and has been barred from leaving the country. His popularity has cratered since his martial law attempt, falling to an all-time low of 11% in a poll by Gallup Korea released Friday.
