The president of South Korea deposed

 

Yoon Suk-Yeol
The president of South Korea is voted down

Knut Sahlin Ekberg,

Rebecca Rosengart

Updated 12.24 | Published 09.01

South Korea was shaken by the sudden military state of emergency.

Now the South Korean parliament has voted to put the president on trial.

- It is 204 against 85 who voted for him to be convicted. It is a clear majority, says Asia expert Niklas Swanström.

           

          South Korea's president is impeached

South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol has been defeated in a parliamentary vote that will determine his future as the country's leader.

The reason behind the vote is that Yoon suddenly imposed martial law in the country in early December. However, they were repealed soon after, as no one in parliament stood behind them.

He also introduced a state of emergency, which meant, among other things, that public demonstrations were banned and the military presence increased.

According to the president, the reason for the laws was to protect democracy from the opposition. He accuses them of collaborating with North Korea, which he says would threaten the country's security.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol. Photo: AP

The expert: Likely he will be convicted

Niklas Swanström is an Asia expert and head of the Institute for Security and Development Policy.

He explains that the president has been impeached after a vote in parliament to impeach him. He is suspected of attempted rebellion.

The next step is for the president to be brought before a constitutional court with nine judges. Six of them need to vote for him to be convicted. While on trial, he has no powers as president but retains his title.

- There are 300 members of the Riksdag who decided this. And then Yoon will be automatically removed from the presidency while this constitutional court decides. Then Prime Minister Han Duck-Soo will take over as interim president, says Niklas Swanström.

But if Yoon were to be acquitted in court, he would have returned to the presidency, explains Niklas Swanström.

However, he believes that it is highly likely that Yoon will be convicted in court.

- It is 204 against 85 who voted for him to be convicted. That is a clear majority.

Large protests have been going on in South Korea Photo: Lee Jin-Man / AP

Risk of demonstrations

Regardless of the outcome in court, there is a risk that unrest will break out, says Niklas Swanström. Before the decision on the state of emergency was made, the president already had quite low support. It fell further as the chaos escalated.

- It is difficult for a court not to convict him. Should they not do it, it will be the big demonstration, says Niklas Swanström.

At the same time, there is a risk of demonstrations if he is convicted, although not as extensive. The reason is a "strong conservative core" in South Korea that supports the president, according to the expert.