PHOTOS: Crowd goes wild as President Yoon is impeached

SEOUL, December 14 (AJP) - Tens of thousands of people cheered on near the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Saturday as the National Assembly's second ballot on the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol was passed. The vote was triggered by Yoon's martial law declaration on Dec. 3, which sparked widespread public protests.

December 14, 2024

Key industrial plans falter amid presidential impeachment

SEOUL, December 14 (AJP) -- The South Korean government's key industrial policies under President Yoon Suk Yeol have hit a critical roadblock following his impeachment by the National Assembly on Saturday. Lawmakers voted to impeach Yoon following 10 days of political turmoil triggered by his short-lived declaration of martial law last week. Yoon's powers were suspended, with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo taking over as acting president. The suspension threatens his signatu

December 14, 2024

Yoon's impeachment creates diplomatic uncertainty

SEOUL, December 14 (AJP) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached by the National Assembly on Saturday, creating an immediate diplomatic vacuum as the country faces critical challenges in managing its alliance with the United States under a second Trump administration. The impeachment automatically suspended Yoon's powers and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will serve as acting president. But his interim status may limit his ability to engage in substantive diplomatic ne

December 14, 2024

Opposition leader gains ground amid power vacuum after Yoon's impeachment

SEOUL, December 14 (AJP) - South Korea is grappling with political turmoil after President Yoon Suk Yeol's aborted declaration of martial law last week. Although it was lifted within hours, the move has sent shockwaves across the country, which has endured many years under military dictatorship and fought hard for democracy. It remains uncertain what led Yoon to resort to such a decades-old measure - the declaration of martial law - early this month, a move that could be seen as

December 14, 2024

Han, centrist veteran technocrat, takes over as acting president after Yoon's impeachment

SEOUL, December 14 (AJP) -- Han Duck-soo, South Korea's twice-serving prime minister, is set to assume the role of acting president Saturday following the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol. A veteran technocrat who has served under both conservative and liberal presidents, Han, 74, faces the challenging task of leading a politically divided nation through its latest constitutional crisis. Lawmakers voted to impeach Yoon following 10 days of political turmoil triggered

December 14, 2024

Impeachment may pave way for special counsel probe into first lady

SEOUL, December 14 (AJP) - The impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol is likely to trigger a full-scale investigation into allegations surrounding his wife, Kim Keon Hee. Scandals involving Kim have been a persistent source of political controversy throughout the Yoon administration, drawing sharp criticism from both opposition parties and the public. The investigation is expected to delve into longstanding allegations, which have often overshadowed the administration’s p

December 14, 2024

Yoon latest to face South Korea's presidential curse

SEOUL, December 14 (AJP) - Impeached by parliament on Saturday, President Yoon Suk Yeol looks set to join a long list of disgraced South Korean leaders. Over the seven decades, the nation's presidential history has been marred by a pattern of dramatic downfalls, from exile and imprisonment to assassination and suicide. The pattern began with Syngman Rhee, who became South Korea's founding president in 1948. Once celebrated as a champion of independence, Rhee's authoritar

December 14, 2024

Constitutional Court to decide on Yoon's fate

SEOUL, December 14 (AJP) - As parliament voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday over his contentious implementation of martial law, his fate will be decided by the Constitutional Court, which will deliberate the case for up to 180 days to determine whether impeachment has sufficient grounds and followed due process. Should the court uphold the impeachment, South Korea will hold a presidential election within 60 days, as mandated by electoral law. Among the

December 14, 2024

Yoon's rise and fall: From star prosecutor to impeached president

SEOUL, December 14 (AJP) - President Yoon Suk Yeol, who led investigations that resulted in former disgraced President Park Geun-hye's ouster in 2016, now faces a similar political fate with his own impeachment. In 2022, Yoon, then an incumbent prosecutor, was elected president by a wafer-thin margin, defeating his rival candidate Lee Jae-myung. His election victory was largely due to his resistance to pressure to fall in line under the previous Moon Jae-in administration, which

December 14, 2024

President Yoon impeached over martial law declaration

SEOUL, December 14 (AJP) -- South Korean lawmakers voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol Saturday following 10 days of political turmoil triggered by his short-lived declaration of martial law last week. Yoon imposed martial law on the night of Dec. 3, sending troops and helicopters to the National Assembly. The decree was canceled later after lawmakers voted against it. Opposition parties led by the Democratic Party (DP) filed the impeachment bill Friday, labeling the

December 14, 2024