- 195 votes cast, below threshold of 200 needed for vote to count.
- Assembly speaker says “very unfortunate” that there wasn’t a vote.
- PPP says to find “more orderly, responsible” way to resolve crisis.
SEOUL: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol survived an impeachment motion in the opposition-led parliament on Saturday that was prompted by his short-lived attempt to impose martial law this week, after members of his party boycotted the vote.
Only 195 votes were cast, below the threshold of 200 needed for the vote to count.
“The entire nation is watching the decision being made here at the National Assembly today. World is watching,” National Assembly speaker Woo Won-shik said with a sigh.
“It’s very unfortunate that there wasn’t even a vote,” he added.
Opposition Democratic Party will propose a new impeachment bill against Yeol on December 11, which will be put on vote on December 14, local Yonhap News reported on Saturday
Yoon’s People Power Party said it would find a “more orderly, responsible” way to resolve the crisis than impeachment of the president.
Yoon shocked the nation late on Tuesday when he gave the military sweeping emergency powers in order to root out what he called “anti-state forces” and overcome obstructionist political opponents. He later rescinded the order.
Politically dead
The opposition has already vowed to try again as soon as Wednesday, and many protesters vowed to continue demonstrations next weekend.
“I will impeach Yoon Suk Yeol, who has become the worst risk for South Korea, at any cost,” opposition leader Lee Jae-myung said.
Before the vote, Yoon, 63, apologised for the turmoil but said he would leave it to his party to decide his fate.
“I caused anxiety and inconvenience to the public. I sincerely apologise,” he said in the televised address, his first public appearance in three days.
He said he would “entrust the party with measures to stabilise the political situation, including my term in office”.
The backing of PPP lawmakers came despite party head Han Dong-hoon — who was allegedly on an arrest list on Tuesday night — saying Yoon must go.
Only three PPP lawmakers — Ahn Cheol-soo, Kim Yea-ji and Kim Sang-wook — voted in the end.
Had the motion passed, Yoon would have been suspended from duties pending a ruling by the Constitutional Court.
An opinion poll released Friday put backing for the president at a record low of 13%.
Regardless of the vote, police have begun investigating Yoon and others for alleged insurrection.
