by Admin
Dec 14, 2024
Things have finally fallen apart for the embattled South Korean President Yeon after the Parliament voted him out of office on Saturday after the South Korean President escaped a first impeachment trial last weekend after he invoked martial law which failed after the parliament voted against it.
President Yeon has been under fire since last week and has fought tooth and nail to cling to power after a failed martial law which backfired on him and caused a wild mass protest against him by the South Korean citizens as thousands took to the streets of Seoul the capital of the country.
The protests began on the very night President Yeon declared martial law and saw thousands of South Koreans storm the parliament building to prevent the soldiers from taking over the parliament building and disrupting the lawmakers from voting against the president’s veto declaration of Martial Law.
President Yeon had initially struck a deal to shorten the length of his term and also stay clear of local and international affairs of the country for him to remain as the president, a deal which didn’t go down well with some of his allies who resigned from their positions as a sign of protest against the deal and the treatment of the President as a second class citizen.
A total number of 204 members of parliament approved the motion to impeach President Yeon. The failed martial law enforcement brought a storm of political crisis that has left President Yeon and his allies under a scrutinized investigation.
In a different turn of events, the South Korean police stormed the presidential building in an attempt to search the president’s office but were met with stiff resistance from the presidential bodyguards that prevented the police from having access to the president’s office.
Han Duck-soo, the Prime Minister of South Korea is expected to take over the country after President Yeon steps down as the President. The prime minister in his first speech after the impeachment of President Yeon said, “I will devote all my strength and effort to the stable operation of state affairs”. The prime minister is expected to hold an ad hoc cabinet meeting today.
President Yeon in his acceptance speech of accepting the impeachment decision said, “Though I stop for now, the journey to the future I’ve walked for the past two and half years must never stop. I will never give up. I will take your criticism, praise, and support to heart and do my best for the country until the end.”
Lee Jae-Myung, the leader of the opposition party in his speech to protesters outside the parliament building said “Today is proof that you are the owner of this country”.
President Yeon is currently expected to be suspended from presidential duties as well as relinquishing all presidential rights until his full impeachment process is completed.