Yoon Suk Yeol
Seoul/Washington/Aqaba: Today, the National Assembly of South Korea impeached Yoon Suk Yeol, the 13th president of South Korea, following the second impeachment motion raised against him. Yoon was inaugurated as the 20th President of the Republic of Korea (ROK or South Korea) on May 10, 2022.
Following Yoon’s impeachment, Han Duck-soo, the nation’s Prime Minister since December 2022, is made South Korea’s Acting President. Han has been South Korea’s prime minister twice, having previously served as prime minister under President Roh Moo-hyun from 2007 to 2008. He also served as the South Korean ambassador to the United States from 2009 to 2012. In Aqaba, Jordan, the US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken told media persons that the United States was ready to work with President Han “as he assumes office”.
The impeachment motion was sparked by Yoon’s declaration of martial law, widely criticized as an attempt to consolidate power. The opposition parties argued that Yoon’s actions constituted treason and abuse of power.
This action was taken in response to Yoon’s declaration of martial law on December 3, 2024, which the National Assembly overturned and officially withdrew six hours later.
Also read: President Yoon retreats after declaring martial law in South Korea; faces impeachment
The impeachment proceedings against Yoon were quite dramatic. On December 4, 2024, six opposition parties submitted a motion to impeach Yoon following his declaration of martial law the previous day. However, the motion failed to pass due to a lack of quorum, as many lawmakers from the ruling People Power Party (PPP) boycotted the vote.
The impeachment motion was sparked by Yoon’s decision to declare martial law, widely criticized as an attempt to consolidate power. The opposition parties argued that Yoon’s actions constituted treason and abuse of power.
Despite the failure of the first impeachment motion, the opposition parties vowed to continue filing motions against Yoon. A second impeachment motion was filed on December 12, 2024.
It’s worth noting that public opinion seemingly favoured Yoon’s impeachment, with a recent poll showing that 73.6% of respondents supported the move. However, the PPP had expressed concerns about the potential consequences of impeachment, including the possibility of a snap presidential election.
Meanwhile, the United States of America reiterated its support for the democratic process, and the rule of law in South Korea (Republic of Korea -ROK), and stated that its commitment to the U.S.-ROK Alliance was “ironclad”. Blinken said the most important thing was that the Republic of Korea demonstrated its “democratic resilience. We’ve seen it follow, peacefully, a process laid out in its constitution”.
It may be mentioned that Yoon expanded the scope of the ROK-US Alliance was extended beyond security to incorporate industry, science and technology, and culture. In the Washington Declaration issued on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the ROK-U.S. alliance, he affirmed a combined defence posture based on the U.S.-ROK Mutual Defense Treaty. He also normalized the previously strained bilateral relations with Japan.
In Washington, Matthew Miller, US State Department Spokesperson, stated after Yoon’s impeachment, “In recent years, that Alliance has made enormous strides, and the United States looks forward to partnering with the ROK on achieving further progress. We stand ready to continue this work with Acting President Han Duck-soo and the ROK government to advance our mutual interests and shared values”.
