Yoon impeachment motion scrapped due to lack of quorum

A motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived attempt to impose martial law was scrapped Saturday due to a lack of quorum, sparing him a disgraceful exit but raising uncertainties about the nation’s political future.

The National Assembly held a vote on the impeachment motion during a plenary session, four days after Yoon declared martial law over “anti-state” activities he blamed on the opposition bloc. The decree was lifted six hours later after the Assembly voted to reject it.

The motion failed to meet the quorum of 200 votes after all but three lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) — Reps. Ahn Cheol-soo, Kim Yea-ji and Kim Sang-wook — boycotted the proceeding.

All 192 opposition lawmakers cast their ballots.

After the motion’s scrapping, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, vowed to impeach Yoon at all costs.

“We fell short and failed to create the result we wanted,” he said at the National Assembly building. “However, we will never give up.”

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said in a statement that he will do everything to “quickly settle the current situation,” and ensure the nation’s safety and people’s everyday lives “can be maintained without wavering.”

The motion required the support of two-thirds of the 300-member parliament in order to pass, meaning at least eight of the 108 PPP lawmakers needed to break from their official party line and vote in favor of impeachment.

Most PPP lawmakers filed out of the plenary session after taking part in a revote on a bill calling for a special counsel investigation into first lady Kim Keon Hee’s corruption allegations, which was ultimately rejected.

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik called on PPP lawmakers to return to the session and cast their votes for the impeachment motion.

“You must vote,” he said from the parliamentary hall where the session was under way. “That is the duty of a patriot, a National Assembly member of the Republic of Korea and an institution that represents the people.”

The main opposition Democratic Party and five other minor opposition parties earlier submitted the impeachment motion, arguing Yoon’s martial law declaration constituted violations of the Constitution and other laws.

By law, an impeachment motion must be put to a vote between 24 and 72 hours after it is reported to a plenary session.

The deadline for the current motion was 12:48 a.m. Sunday.