South Korea’s National Assembly voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday, accusing him of insurrection following his unsuccessful attempt to declare martial law earlier this month.
Opposition leaders celebrated the decision as a “victory for the people.”
The impeachment vote came amid massive demonstrations in Seoul, where hundreds of thousands participated in rival rallies for and against Yoon.
Lawmakers cast 204 votes in favour of impeachment, surpassing the 200 required to remove him from office.
Eighty-five legislators opposed the motion, while three abstained, and eight votes were invalidated.
The decision temporarily suspends Yoon from office while the Constitutional Court reviews the case, a process that could take up to 180 days.
During this period, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will serve as acting president.
For the impeachment to succeed, opposition lawmakers from the Democratic Party needed support from at least eight members of Yoon’s conservative People Power Party (PPP).
Following the vote, Democratic Party floor leader Park Chan-dae hailed the outcome as a triumph for democracy.
Crowds gathered outside parliament to express support for Yoon’s impeachment, with police estimating 200,000 demonstrators.
Meanwhile, a smaller rally of 30,000 pro-Yoon supporters convened near Gwanghwamun Square, waving South Korean and American flags and playing patriotic songs.
One Yoon supporter, Choi Hee-sun, defended the president’s actions, stating, “He had no choice but to declare martial law. I support every decision he has made.”
Yoon, however, remains defiant, pledging to fight the impeachment and accusing the opposition of collaborating with communist adversaries—a claim he has yet to substantiate.