South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has avoided impeachment

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol narrowly avoided impeachment on Saturday as the parliamentary motion to remove him from office failed, The Korea Times reported.

The initiative was blocked after the ruling People Power Party (PPP) lawmakers overwhelmingly abstained from voting, leaving the National Assembly chamber during the critical vote. Only three PPP members remained to cast their ballots, the newspaper said.

The impeachment motion required support from at least two-thirds of the National Assembly’s 300 members—200 votes—to pass. The PPP, to which Yoon belongs, holds 108 seats, while the opposition controls 192, with 171 of those belonging to the Democratic Party of Korea.

The impeachment effort followed Yoon’s controversial declaration of martial law earlier this week, a decision widely criticized as unconstitutional. Opposition lawmakers accused Yoon of overstepping his authority and undermining South Korea’s democratic norms.

In a televised address on Dec. 7, Yoon apologized to South Koreans, expressing “sincere regret” over his decision to impose martial law. “I will not evade the legal and political responsibilities that come with this decision,” Yoon said, pledging not to make further attempts to impose military rule.

The address was Yoon’s first public statement since Dec. 3, when he announced the martial law decree, citing a need to “eradicate pro-North Korean anti-state forces.” The move marked the first martial law declaration in South Korea since 1989.

The Democratic Party, which holds a parliamentary majority, had earlier rejected the government’s budget proposal and initiated impeachment proceedings against key officials, including the national auditor and prosecutor general. Yoon’s martial law declaration further escalated tensions.

Shortly after Yoon’s announcement, the National Assembly voted to repeal the martial law order, a decision later approved by the government. The opposition swiftly began impeachment procedures against the president, accusing him of constitutional violations.

Ahead of the vote, PPP leadership instructed lawmakers to oppose the impeachment motion but allowed individual members to vote based on personal judgment. However, the party’s mass exit from the chamber effectively derailed the motion.

Yoon’s presidency now faces heightened scrutiny amid political turmoil and public outrage. Opposition leaders have urged Yoon to resign, while his supporters argue that the martial law decision was a necessary step to safeguard national security.

The failed impeachment vote prolongs a political standoff that has rattled South Korea’s government and polarized its electorate.