South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol addresses the nation at his official residence in Seoul, South Korea, December 14, 2024. THE PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE / VIA REUTERS The second attempt was the right one. A week after the failure of a first motion and under strong pressure from the population, the National Assembly narrowly voted, Saturday, December 14, for the dismissal of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, implicated for his declaration of martial law, on the night of December 3 to 4. Two hundred and four MPs approved the motion. He needed 200, or two-thirds of the seats in the National Assembly, to pass. The 192 elected officials from the six opposition parties voted for it unanimously. As during the first vote, the fate of the text depended on the People’s Power Party (PPP, in power), whose procrastination lasted until the afternoon of December 14. Twelve of its 108 elected officials voted for the text. Mr. Yoon acknowledged the decision, while reiterating that he would “never give up.” “The journey towards the future that I have undertaken with the people for two and a half years must never stop,” he added, while hoping that “we will all work together for security and happiness of the population”. The decision described as a “victory for the people and democracy” by Park Chan-dae, leader of the democratic group (opposition), suspends the powers of the president pending, to be definitive, its validation within six months by the nine judges of the Supreme Court. The procedure could take time. The court has only six sitting judges, with the other three having reached the end of their terms in September. Even if the rule may have suffered exceptions, a quorum of seven judges is normally required to validate a decision. You have 72.59% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.
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