South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has been impeached by the National Assembly over his short-lived attempt to impose martial law, a move that plunged South Korea into political turmoil halfway through his presidency.
The unicameral National Assembly voted 204 to 85 on Saturday to impeach Yoon, the second such vote in eight days. Three members abstained and eight votes were declared invalid.
The vote was done by secret ballot, with two-thirds of the votes required for impeachment. All 300 members of the assembly cast their ballots.
With his impeachment, Yoon is automatically suspended from office while South Korea’s Constitutional Court deliberates his fate.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is taking over as the interim president.
The Constitutional Court would then have 180 days to rule on Yoon’s future. If it backs his removal, Yoon would become the second president in South Korean history to be successfully impeached.
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