{"id":2207491,"date":"2024-12-11T12:39:30","date_gmt":"2024-12-11T03:39:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2207491"},"modified":"2024-12-12T11:07:22","modified_gmt":"2024-12-12T02:07:22","slug":"south-korea-faces-political-crisis-as-ruling-party-blocks-impeachment-vote","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/12\/south-korea-faces-political-crisis-as-ruling-party-blocks-impeachment-vote\/","title":{"rendered":"South Korea faces political crisis as ruling party blocks impeachment vote"},"content":{"rendered":"
The ruling People Power Party\u2019s (PPP) decision to block the vote to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol has thrust South Korean democracy into uncharted waters.<\/span><\/p>\n 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\u2019s removal, raises difficult and troubling questions about the country\u2019s democratic resilience and constitutional order.<\/span><\/p>\n MARTIAL LAW AND THE PPP\u2019S BOYCOTT<\/b><\/p>\n This political crisis stems from Yoon\u2019s declaration of martial law last week to suppress political opposition, an unprecedented move in South Korea\u2019s modern democracy. The National Assembly swiftly rejected the declaration, triggering a groundswell of civic pride, which proved short-lived due to the PPP\u2019s collective action.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The party\u2019s political calculus hinges on two factors: the hope that they may be able to delay a presidential election until public anger over Yoon\u2019s coup attempt has subsided, and potentially until main opposition Democratic Party (DP) leader Lee Jae-myung can be convicted in one of the numerous criminal cases against him \u2014 thus disqualifying him from running for office.<\/span><\/p>\n In other words, the PPP is betting that it can execute an informal handover of power, which will allow it to nudge Yoon out of office while also avoiding the electoral rout that would follow impeachment.<\/span><\/p>\n