Yoon Suspended from Duty After 949 Days in Office
Prime Minister Han Deok-su Acts as Presidential Authority
The impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol passed the National Assembly plenary session on the 14th. With the passage of the impeachment motion, the state administration will transition to an acting authority system. Photo by Yonhap News Agency, showing President Yoon and former President Park Geun-hye attending the 44th memorial service for former President Park Chung-hee's death on October 26, 2023.
The impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol passed the National Assembly plenary session on the 14th. It came 11 days after the declaration of martial law, marking the third time in constitutional history that an impeachment motion against a sitting president has been approved, following former Presidents Roh Moo-hyun in 2004 and Park Geun-hye in 2016.
The impeachment motion against President Yoon was approved in the plenary session that afternoon with all 300 members of the National Assembly present, receiving 204 votes in favor, 85 against, 3 abstentions, and 8 invalid votes. Of the 204 votes in favor, excluding 192 from the opposition parties, it is estimated that 12 votes came from the People Power Party, which maintained a party line to reject the motion. In the first impeachment vote on the 7th, the People Power Party did not participate, resulting in a lack of quorum and the vote not being established, but this time the party participated in the vote.
President Yoon's duties will be suspended immediately upon delivery of the National Assembly's impeachment resolution to the Presidential Office. Once President Yoon's duties are suspended, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will serve as acting president and manage state affairs. This marks 949 days (about 2 years and 7 months) since President Yoon took office.
President Yoon will retain his position and privileges until the Constitutional Court completes the impeachment trial process. If the Constitutional Court upholds the National Assembly's impeachment request, President Yoon will become the second president to be removed from office during his term, following former President Park Geun-hye.
Presidential Security Service: "Security for President Yoon Maintained as Before"
The Presidential Security Service announced that with the passage of the impeachment motion against President Yoon in the National Assembly plenary session, it will begin security duties for Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who will serve as acting president.
In a press release that afternoon, the Presidential Security Service stated, "Following the National Assembly's approval of the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol, we have organized a dedicated security team to perform security duties for Acting President Han Duck-soo in accordance with relevant laws." It added, "Security for Acting President Han Duck-soo will be conducted at the level of the president and will cover both the acting president and his spouse."
The Security Service said, "The dedicated security team for Acting President Han Duck-soo will coordinate with the Prime Minister's Office to establish specific security measures and commence its duties," and added, "Meanwhile, security for President Yoon will be maintained as before regardless of the suspension of his duties, in accordance with relevant laws."
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is responding to reporters' questions as he enters the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, immediately after the presidential impeachment motion was passed at the National Assembly on the 14th. Photo by Yonhap News
The atmosphere at the Yongsan Presidential Office fell into silence upon hearing the news of the approval of President Yoon's impeachment motion. Some aides who had not given up hope until the end, as the People Power Party maintained its party line to reject the impeachment motion that afternoon, showed somber expressions upon the approval news.
Presidential Office 'Somber'... Calm Atmosphere for Follow-up Response
It is reported that many staff members at the Yongsan Presidential Office came to work that afternoon and watched the live broadcast of the National Assembly's impeachment vote on TV.
Until the day before, seven ruling party lawmakers had publicly expressed support for the impeachment motion, and with only one vote needed for approval, the passage was expected. However, some aides kept their eyes on the live broadcast until the end, hoping for an unexpected twist. When the motion passed with 204 votes in favor, the aides could not hide their gloom.
The impeachment motion against President Yoon was approved in the plenary session that afternoon with all 300 members of the National Assembly present, receiving 204 votes in favor, 85 against, 3 abstentions, and 8 invalid votes. Of the 204 votes in favor, excluding 192 from the opposition parties, it is estimated that 12 votes came from the People Power Party, which maintained a party line to reject the motion.
One aide said, "The People Power Party set its party line to reject the impeachment motion today, so we had some hope, but we could not prevent further defections," adding, "Although we expected this, it feels devastating now that it has become reality."
Currently, the atmosphere at the Yongsan Presidential Office is calm, as the approval was somewhat anticipated. It is reported that follow-up measures for future responses are underway. Once President Yoon receives the 'impeachment resolution' from the National Assembly today, his presidential duties will be suspended immediately, and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will assume the role of acting president.
Another aide at the Presidential Office said, "The situation has been so urgent since the martial law incident that it has been overwhelming," and added, "We plan to do our best to support the acting president and ensure that there are no disruptions in the tasks assigned."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
