South Korean lawmakers voted on Saturday to remove President Yoon Suk Yeol from office after his failed attempt to impose martial law last week.
Out of 300 lawmakers, 204 voted in favor of impeachment on insurrection charges, while 85 opposed. Three lawmakers abstained, and eight votes were nullified.
A Seoul police officer told AFP that about 200,000 people gathered outside the parliament in support of the president’s removal. Meanwhile, near Gwanghwamun Square, an estimated 30,000 supporters of President Yoon rallied, waving South Korean and American flags and singing patriotic songs.
One supporter, Choi Hee-sun, 62, shared her views with AFP: “Yoon had no choice but to declare martial law. I stand by every decision he has made as president.”
Despite the impeachment, President Yoon remains defiant, claiming the opposition is working with communist enemies. He has vowed to continue fighting the charges.
The main opposition Democratic Party stated on Saturday that impeachment was necessary to “protect the Constitution, the rule of law, democracy, and South Korea’s future.” Spokeswoman Hwang Jung-a declared, “We can no longer endure Yoon’s madness.”
At the parliament rally supporting impeachment, volunteers handed out free hand warmers, coffee, and food to protesters braving freezing temperatures. K-pop star Yuri from Girl’s Generation, whose song “Into the New World” has become a protest anthem, supported the movement by pre-paying for food for her fans at the demonstration.
“Stay safe and take care of your health!” Yuri wrote on a fan chat platform.
