Published: 10:28, December 13, 2024 | Updated: 14:43, December 13, 2024
S. Korea's parliament reports 2nd impeachment motion against President Yoon
By Xinhua
In this photo provided by South Korea Presidential Office, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol speaks at the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea, Dec 12, 2024. (PHOTO / AP)

SEOUL - South Korea's parliament on Friday reported the second impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol over his martial law declaration after the first one was scrapped last Saturday, TV footage showed.

The motion to impeach Yoon was reported in the 300-member National Assembly's plenary session after the first one failed to be passed last week as most of the 108 ruling party lawmakers boycotted it.

Under the constitution, the impeachment bill must be initiated by a majority of lawmakers and approved by at least two-thirds of the National Assembly legislators.

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The opposition bloc will need eight votes from the ruling party lawmakers to pass the motion.

If it is passed, the constitutional court will deliberate it for up to 180 days, during which Yoon's constitutional powers will be suspended and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo will be an acting president.

If the impeachment of Yoon is upheld by the court, a snap presidential election would be held within 60 days.

Yoon was named as a suspect on an insurrection charge over his declaration of an emergency martial law on the night of Dec 3, which was repealed by the National Assembly hours later.

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Also on Friday, South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung said the fastest way to restore order in the country is to impeach Yoon amid the ongoing political unrest.

"It proved that impeachment is the fastest and the most effective way to end the confusion," said Lee, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, at the National Assembly.

He urged members of the ruling People Power Party to vote in favor of another impeachment motion against Yoon scheduled for Saturday.

READ MORE: S. Korea's ruling party discusses Yoon's resignation in February

Yoon on Thursday defended his Dec 3 martial law declaration and accused the opposition of framing insurrection charges against him and paralyzing state affairs with the abuse of impeachment, vowing to "fight to the end."