Seoul, South Korea
CNN
—

South Korea’s parliament voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday. This was an extraordinary rebuke that came after his own ruling party turned against him after he refused to resign over his short-lived attempt to declare martial law.

It is the second time in less than a decade that a South Korean leader has been impeached while in office, meaning Yoon will be suspended from exercising his powers until the country’s Constitutional Court makes a final decision on the decision.

The dramatic decision marks the culmination of a stunning political showdown after Yoon briefly declared martial law on December 3 and sent soldiers into parliament, where lawmakers fought past the troops to enter the building and reject the decree.

Yoon’s gamble backfired spectacularly, leading many in Asia’s vibrant democracy to call for his ouster.

Opposition parties tried to impeach him a week ago – but Yoon survived after members of his ruling People Power Party boycotted the vote, saying they hoped the president would voluntarily resign instead.

Then Yoon doubled down, giving a defiant speech Thursday in which he defended his martial law decision, lambasted the opposition, claimed he was trying to save the country and vowed to “fight with the people until the last moment.”

But shortly before that speech, the leader of Yoon’s party withdrew his support for the president, supporting impeachment as the “only way… to defend democracy” and telling lawmakers to vote with their conscience.

Thousands of protesters gathered in Seoul on Saturday, braving the cold, to demand Yoon’s resignation ahead of the vote, which was approved by 204 lawmakers with 85 votes against.

Meanwhile, thousands of the president’s supporters gathered in downtown Seoul, many waving American and South Korean flags, chanting slogans and holding signs in support of the embattled Yoon.

Yoon, whose powers were immediately revoked, is now awaiting a decision from the Constitutional Court – one of the country’s highest courts – confirming his fate, which could take up to six months.

If confirmed, he would be the second South Korean president to be removed from office by impeachment, after Park Geun-hye, the country’s first female leader.

Under South Korean law, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will serve as acting president, but he also faces his own political problems and is under investigation for his role in the martial law decision, exacerbating political uncertainty in the coming weeks.

A former prosecutor and conservative hothead, Yoon has had a difficult two years in office marked by low approval ratings and political scandals involving his wife and political appointments.

Since taking office in 2022, he has also faced a political deadlock with an opposition-majority Parliament that prevented him from advancing legislation to cut taxes and loosen business regulations, as his main rivals in the Democratic Party used the legislative session to impeach key Cabinet members and holding up a household bill.

His government cracked down on what he called “fake news,” with police and prosecutors raiding several media outlets, including MBC and JTBC, as well as the homes of journalists.

Yoon argued that his frustration with the political stalemate led him to make a bold move for power, surprising not only members of his own party but also many military leaders.

Police raids and treason investigations

In his late-night address declaring martial law, Yoon accused the opposition of engaging in “anti-state” activities and being in cahoots with North Korea without providing evidence – an accusation his opponents have strenuously denied. He also presented his act as the only way to overcome the political deadlock in parliament.

But it sparked shock and anger across a country still scarred by the brutality of martial law imposed during decades of military dictatorship before transitioning to a hard-fought democracy in the 1980s.

Dramatic scenes from that night showed security forces breaking windows at the National Assembly to prevent MPs from gathering and protesters confronting riot police.

Since then, pressure on the president has grown as police, parliament, prosecutors and the anti-corruption agency have launched separate investigations against Yoon on treason charges. On Tuesday, lawmakers approved a special prosecutor to investigate whether Yoon committed an insurrection and abused his power by declaring martial law.

The following day, South Korean police searched the presidential office, a presidential security official confirmed to CNN. Yoon was also banned from leaving the country.

Last week, South Korean prosecutors arrested former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who allegedly recommended the imposition of martial law and resigned following the scandal. According to the head of the country’s correctional service, Kim attempted to end his life while in custody late on Tuesday.

On Thursday, Yoon said he only discussed the martial law decree with Kim before announcing it. Meanwhile, Parliament has already initiated impeachment proceedings against Yoon’s justice minister and his police chief.

Senior government officials have testified at various government hearings over the past week and revealed some extraordinary details about the night of the martial law order.

Special Warfare Command commander Kwak Jong-geun testified that he received a direct order from President Yoon to break down the doors of the National Assembly and drag out lawmakers, but he failed to comply.

South Korea, one of East Asia’s top economies and a key U.S. regional ally, now faces months of sustained political uncertainty like that that dominated the country during the last impeachment crisis in 2016 and 2017.

Then-President Park Geun-hye was eventually impeached by lawmakers on corruption charges, thrown out of office by the Constitutional Court, imprisoned and later pardoned.

CNN’s Lex Harvey, Yoonjung Seo and Gawon Bae contributed reporting.