By Yoonjung Seo and Edward Szekeres, CNN
South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol. Photo: CHUNG SUNG-JUN
South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol survived a vote of impeachment on Saturday after the vote was boycotted by governing party lawmakers.
In another day of high drama, a number of lawmakers left parliament ahead of the vote to impeach President Yoon over his decision to impose a short-lived period of martial law earlier this week. Just two remained inside while the one governing lawmaker who returned voted against the motion.
Outside the main hall, opposition lawmakers could be heard shouting, "Go inside [the chamber]!" and calling them "cowards".
Meanwhile, large crowds of protesters gathered outside the National Assembly, calling for the president's ousting.
President Yoon has been facing intense pressure to stand down as leader, after his shock bid to declare martial law in South Korea was aborted. The failed attempt - which would have been for the first time in over four decades that the law was enacted - sparked fierce backlash.
Opposition lawmakers have submitted another motion for Wednesday 11 December - the next available date they can vote on Yoon's impeachment.
The lone governing lawmaker who returned to vote against the motion, Kim Sang-wook, described his predicament, telling journalists at the National Assembly that he believes the conservatism that "protects free Republic of Korea" should be preserved.
While he does not believe President Yoon qualifies as a president, he voted against the impeachment motion in accordance with his party's opinion. He said he had listened to the president, who apologised and said he would "entrust" the party to respond.
"I want to believe in his words," Kim said.
An opposition lawmaker Kim Joon-hyung, of the Rebuilding Korea Party, said there was no way the president could last until the end of his term, saying he was "done".
"The sooner that he resigns or [is] impeached, the better for our country."
Yoon Suk Yeol bowed during a televised speech to the nation, only hours head of a planned impeachment vote Photo: ANTHONY WALLACE / AFP
Yoon earlier apologised to the nation in his first public comments since his abortive attempt to impose martial law threw the country into political chaos and led to calls for his impeachment.
"This emergency martial law declaration stemmed from my desperation as the ultimate responsible party for state affairs," Yoon said in a two-minute address.
"I am deeply sorry and sincerely apologise to the citizens who must have been greatly shocked," Yoon said, acknowledging that he "caused anxiety and inconvenience" to South Korean citizens.
Yoon said he "will not avoid the legal and political responsibility related to this martial law declaration".
The furor began late Tuesday night (local time), when Yoon declared martial law in an unannounced television address, accusing the main opposition party of sympathising with North Korea and of "anti-state activities". He cited a motion by the Democratic Party, which has a majority in parliament, to impeach top prosecutors and reject a government budget proposal.
Yet within just six hours, the leader was forced to back down, after lawmakers forced their way past soldiers into parliament to unanimously strike down the decree.
Addressing rumors on Saturday that martial law will be invoked again, Yoon said "there will absolutely be no second attempt at a constitutional amendment".
"I will entrust my party with methods to stabilise the political situation, including the remainder of my term ... I apologise to the citizens for the concerns I have caused," Yoon concluded as he stepped off the podium and bowed.
The declaration of a military emergency, although short-lived, was met with shock and anger across the country, which remains deeply scarred by the brutality of martial law imposed during decades of military dictatorship before it won a long, bloody fight for democracy in the 1980s.
Pressure on Yoon has mounted in the days since, with protesters and opposition figures demanding his impeachment - and support wavering even within his own party and the military.
Although he has survived Saturday's vote, Yoon's future remains uncertain after the leader of his party said his resignation was "inevitable".
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Han Dong-hoon, chief of Yoon's own People Power Party, said it was "impossible for the president to carry on his normal duties".
On Friday, Han said Yoon needed to be immediately suspended from duty to protect the country from "grave danger", in a dramatic reversal of opinion that compounds the pressure building on the president ahead of an impeachment vote in parliament.
Yoon's apology came as new details emerged of the arrest list the president came up with during the upheaval, a significant turning point that prompted Han to call for Yoon's suspension on Friday.
Shortly after martial law was declared, Yoon allegedly told Hong Jang-won, first deputy director of the National Intelligence Service, over the phone that he should take the opportunity to "arrest and clean everything up".
Yoon said he would give the intelligence service authority to launch a counter-intelligence probe and "support it with funds, personnel unconditionally".
Details were first revealed to reporters by lawmakers briefed about the phone conversation, and Hong on Saturday confirmed to CNN the veracity of the content.
Hong learned of the list through Defense Counterintelligence Command (DCC) later and thought it was "crazy", lawmakers said earlier, citing him.
Han was on the arrest list together with a raft of politicians including opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung.
- CNN
