SEOUL: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol survived an impeachment vote in parliament on Saturday prompted by his short-lived attempt to impose martial law this week, but the leader of his own party said the president would eventually step down.
Yoon’s People Power Party boycotted the impeachment vote, put forward by the main opposition Democratic Party, and the motion was scrapped after not enough lawmakers participated.
After the vote, however, PPP leader Han Dong-hoon said the party had decided that Yoon would resign.
“The declaration of martial law was a clear and serious violation of the law,” Han told reporters.
Han has a history of clashes with Yoon, however, and it was unclear if he was speaking for all PPP members. There was no word yet from Yoon on Han’s comments.
Yoon shocked the nation late on Tuesday when he gave the military sweeping emergency powers to root out what he called “anti-state forces” and overcome obstructionist political opponents.
He rescinded the order six hours later, after parliament defied military and police cordons to vote unanimously against the decree.
But Yoon’s martial law declaration plunged South Korea, Asia’s fourth-largest economy and a key US military ally, into its greatest political crisis in decades, threatening to shatter the country’s reputation as a democratic success story.
Earlier on Saturday Yoon addressed the nation in a televised speech to apologise for the move, and to say he would face whatever repercussions there would be, though he did not offer to resign.
Yoon said he would put his fate in the hands of the PPP, which Han said later was effectively a promise to leave office early.
“The People Power Party will pursue an orderly departure of the president in order to minimize confusion for the people,” Han said, adding that until Yoon leaves, he would be “effectively excluded from his duties, and the prime minister will consult with the party to manage state affairs.” The DP opposition ridiculed that idea as “absurd and illegal.”
“Neither the people, nor the law, nor anyone has given Han the power to remove (Yoon) from office,” the party said in a statement, saying impeachment is the only way.
Asked when Han will announce a roadmap for ending Yoon’s term early, a source close to Han said it was too early to say.
The opposition needed at least eight votes from Yoon’s PPP to reach the two-thirds majority needed to impeach. As PPP lawmakers departed after casting votes on a separate motion, some people shouted and cursed them. Only three lawmakers from Yoon’s party voted.