The ruling People Power Party’s (PPP) decision to block the vote to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol has thrust South Korean democracy into uncharted waters.

All but three of 108 PPP lawmakers boycotted the impeachment vote on Saturday, effectively blocking a parliamentary motion that requires 200 of 300 votes to pass. The move, met with outrage from tens of thousands of protesters on-site demanding Yoon’s removal, raises difficult and troubling questions about the country’s democratic resilience and constitutional order.