South Korea's president avoids an impeachment attempt over martial law
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South Korea: Pres. Yoon Escapes Impeachment
Above: South Korean Pres. Yoon Suk-Yeol at the Presidential Office on Dec. 3, 2024, in Seoul, South Korea. Image copyright: South Korean Presidential Office/Handout/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
South Korean Pres. Yoon Suk Yeol avoided impeachment on Saturday when his ruling People Power Party (PPP) members walked out of parliament, preventing the two-thirds majority needed for the vote to proceed.
Opposition parties, which hold 192 of 300 parliamentary seats, needed at least eight additional votes from Yoon's party to reach the 200-vote threshold required for impeachment.
The Spin
Narrative A
Yoon's impeachment is unavoidable and necessary to protect the Republic of Korea and its democracy from an unconstitutional power grab that endangered the nation's democratic institutions. The president's martial law declaration amounted to an attempted self-coup that warrants his immediate removal from office.
Narrative B
The impeachment motion was politically motivated and would have caused unnecessary national division and instability. A more orderly transition through party-led negotiations would better serve the country's interests than a rushed impeachment process. The PPP will take appropriate steps to stabilize the political situation.
Metaculus Prediction
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