The impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol was automatically dismissed at 9:26 p.m. on Dec. 7 due to insufficient participation. The vote fell short by five lawmakers, with all but three members of the People Power Party (PPP) abstaining. As a result, President Yoon will remain in office.
A total of 195 lawmakers voted, including all 192 members of the opposition and independent lawmakers, along with PPP members Ahn Cheol-soo, Kim Ye-ji, and Kim Sang-wook. Except for Ahn, most PPP lawmakers had exited the chamber, with Kim Ye-ji and Kim Sang-wook returning to participate.
To pass the impeachment motion, a two-thirds majority of the National Assembly’s 300 members (200 votes) was required. The vote failed to meet the necessary quorum of 200 lawmakers, leading to its automatic dismissal.
The vote began around 5:20 p.m., following the conclusion of the vote on a special investigation bill targeting First Lady Kim Keon-hee. Four hours later, with the vote failing to reach quorum, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik apologized to the public, saying, “I am sorry.”
The opposition has indicated plans to reintroduce the impeachment motion on Dec. 11. Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) floor leader Park Chan-dae said in a pre-session briefing earlier, “If the impeachment motion is rejected, we will immediately call for a special session on Dec. 11 to push forward with the impeachment again.”
Under the National Assembly Act, a rejected motion cannot be resubmitted within the same session, following the principle of “no reintroduction of defeated proposals.”
Earlier in the day, President Yoon addressed the public, stating, “As for the stability of the political landscape moving forward, including matters concerning the remainder of my term, I entrust this entirely to my party. From now on, my party and the government will jointly assume responsibility for national administration.”
This statement suggests that President Yoon will likely delegate much of the domestic governance authority, while facing significant constraints on his own ability to exercise his powers, particularly in foreign policy and defense matters.
The national outcry following the unprecedented martial law declaration and the subsequent calls for impeachment are expected to continue. Although the Constitution prevents the president from facing criminal prosecution during his tenure, exceptions exist for crimes related to insurrection or treason.
In light of the ongoing investigation, the prosecution has set up a special investigative unit—the first since the 2016 Park Geun-hye corruption scandal—to investigate potential charges of insurrection against President Yoon.
The National Office of Investigation (NOI) has also assembled a dedicated investigation team of 120 officers, and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) has joined the probe, making President Yoon the subject of an all-encompassing investigation by prosecutors, police, and the CIO.
