December 14, 2024 (SEOUL) – In a historic ruling, the vote for President Yoon Suk-Yeol's impeachment was approved by South Korea’s National Assembly. This was the second vote on the impeachment motion against President Yoon, filed by the opposition Democratic Party and other minor opposition parties on December 12. This follows the significant political turmoil after the President declared martial law around 11 pm on December 3, which was lifted six hours later. Active protests have been ongoing since the declaration.
The previous impeachment motion was rejected due to insufficient parliamentary support on December 7. The majority of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) refused to participate, failing to reach the required two-thirds majority, or 200 people, for impeachment. However, there have been notable shifts amongst PPP members, with several indicating their support of today’s motion in advance of the vote. The vote passed with 204 in favor of the motion.
This is the second time in recent history that an impeachment motion has been brought against a president in South Korea. In December 2016, South Korean citizens demonstrated the strength of its democracy by impeaching President Park Geun-hye. The impeachment was passed by the National Assembly on December 9, 2016, and unanimously approved by the Constitutional Court on March 10, 2017.
As with the previous impeachment case, citizens’ rallies played a significant role in capturing the push for democracy which had been threatened by the unconstitutional martial law declaration evoked by President Yoon. It has been the first time in 45 years since a martial decree has been declared in the country, and South Korea is not in the same position as it was back then – politically, economically, and socially.
However, the ongoing instability has contributed to barriers in climate action, impacting policy processes, events, and other activities. The democratic function of the country must be restored for South Korea to continue its response to the climate crisis.
Following the impeachment, President Yoon is to be suspended from duties immediately, with the Prime Minister covering the role temporarily and the case passed on for review by the Constitutional Court of Korea.
During this period, addressing critical issues such as climate will remain paramount to South Korea’s democratic recovery. Environmental issues are deeply intertwined with the economy and national security, and political chaos should not be a reason to halt progress on addressing them.
Joojin Kim, CEO of Solutions for Our Climate (SFOC) quotes:
“The declaration of martial law challenged South Korea's democratic foundations critical for civil society, including the climate movement. It has been heartening to see citizens across generations rally together in defense of South Korea’s democracy and call for the impeachment of President Yoon, who initiated this period of political turmoil. K-pop fans stood side by side with climate activists, families and retirees came out in groups, and the cold weather proved a minor inconvenience to energized crowds in Yeouido.
Today’s impeachment decision indicates that key government decision-makers are committed to listening to citizen voices. With this positive step in resolving South Korea’s political crisis, in the coming weeks, it will be critical to move forward with the necessary governance procedures to remove barriers that have been inhibiting effective diplomatic and domestic actions in response to other critical areas – including climate crisis response.”
See SFOC's previous statement on the martial law declaration here.
ENDS.
Solutions for Our Climate (SFOC) is an independent nonprofit organization that works to accelerate global greenhouse gas emissions reduction and energy transition. SFOC leverages research, litigation, community organizing, and strategic communications to deliver practical climate solutions and build movements for change.
Website: https://forourclimate.org/
To request interviews, quotes, or more information please contact Kate Kalinova, Communications Officer, at kate.kalinova@forourclimate.org.
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