Portrait of Yoon Suk Yeol
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Yoon Suk Yeol on Impeachment Vote

Subject of Impeachment (strong)

TL;DR

Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached by the National Assembly following his declaration of martial law, leading to his suspension.

Key Points

  • The National Assembly passed the second motion to impeach Yoon Suk Yeol on December 14, 2024, with a 204-85 vote.

  • The primary cause cited for the impeachment was his illegal declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024.

  • The Constitutional Court unanimously upheld the impeachment on April 4, 2025, formally removing him from office.

Summary

Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached by the South Korean National Assembly on December 14, 2024, following a vote of 204 to 85, which successfully suspended his presidential powers pending a ruling by the Constitutional Court. This action directly resulted from his short-lived declaration of martial law on December 3, during which he attempted to ban political activities and deploy military forces to obstruct the legislature. The impeachment charges included violations of popular sovereignty, obstruction of official duties, abuse of power, and sedition, stemming from the martial law decree and related actions, such as ordering the arrest of political leaders and judges.

The initial impeachment motion on December 7 failed because the ruling party boycotted the vote, preventing a necessary quorum, despite the president having apologized for the martial law declaration and pledging delegation of duties to his party. After the failure, internal pressure mounted, leading twelve members of the president's own party to join the opposition in the successful second vote on December 14. The Constitutional Court ultimately upheld the impeachment on April 4, 2025, formally removing Yoon Suk Yeol from office due to serious constitutional violations, including the failure to meet substantive and procedural requirements for declaring martial law.

Key Quotes

entrusts the country's affairs to his party and the government

Frequently Asked Questions

Yoon Suk Yeol did not officially take a position in favor of the impeachment vote, as it was initiated by the opposition and subsequently supported by some members of his own party. He defended the actions that led to the vote, such as declaring martial law, as necessary for state security.

The National Assembly voted to impeach him primarily due to his short-lived declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024. The charges centered on allegations of abuse of power and obstruction of constitutional duties during that crisis.

Yes, Yoon Suk Yeol survived the first impeachment motion on December 7, 2024, because members of his ruling party boycotted the session, causing the vote to fail to reach the required quorum.

Sources5

* This is not an exhaustive list of sources.