The opposition hopes to secure enough support from the ruling party to suspend President Yoon Suk Yeol after his short-lived martial law decree.
South Korean lawmakers began voting Saturday on whether to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, who plunged the country into a crisis with a short-lived martial law decree.
The opposition needed at least eight legislators from Mr. Yoon’s governing People Power Party to abandon support for their leader. As the vote was held, tens of thousands of protesters were camped outside the National Assembly, demanding Mr. Yoon be removed.
Mr. Yoon faces impeachment on charges including insurrection, 11 days after he sent military troops into the legislature, triggering national outrage and plunging the country into political turmoil. His attempt to place his country under military rule for the first time in 45 years lasted only six hours.
Last Saturday, opposition lawmakers fell short after Mr. Yoon’s party boycotted the vote, saying that he should be given a chance to resign rather than be impeached. Only three of its 108 lawmakers participated.
But things look more uncertain for Mr. Yoon after he indicated on Thursday that he would not step down and will instead fight the National Assembly’s attempt to oust him. The number of governing party lawmakers who have said they would vote for his impeachment had grown to seven.
After a meeting before the vote, ruling party lawmakers said their policy of opposing Mr. Yoon’s impeachment remained unchanged. But the party’s lawmakers participated in the vote rather than repeat last week’s boycott.
