South Korea: Motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol fails

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol survived the impeachment motion after lawmakers from his party boycotted the vote, walking out of parliament beforehand.

The opposition filed an impeachment after the president declared martial law for several hours earlier in the week. The conservative president defended the move, citing threats from North Korea and "anti-state elements" that he claimed were undermining the freedom and happiness of the people. The following day, Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun apologized for carrying out Yoon's order and resigned.

Only 195 lawmakers attended the vote, falling short of the 200 votes needed to remove the president. Live footage from the chamber showed members of the ruling People’s Power Party (PPP) leaving, causing the session to lack a quorum. Only three party members reportedly remained seated in their seats.

The party defended the blockade, arguing that a removal would create "great divisions and chaos". Instead, they pledged to address the crisis in "a more orderly and responsible manner."

Meanwhile, around 150,000 protesters took to the streets demanding President Yoon's resignation. In a brief speech before Saturday's aborted vote, the president acknowledged causing "anxiety and inconvenience to the public" and offered a "sincere" apology. However, he refrained from resigning, stating, "I will leave it to my party to stabilize the situation, including my term in office."

President Yoon’s popularity, already under strain from a police investigation for insurrection, dropped to a low of 13%, according to a poll released on Friday.