“POLITICALLY DEAD”
The opposition has already vowed to try to impeach Yoon again by as soon as Wednesday, and many protesters vowed to continue demonstrations next weekend.
“I will impeach Yoon Suk Yeol, who has become the worst risk for South Korea, at any cost,” opposition leader Lee Jae-myung said.
Before the vote, Yoon, 63, had apologised for the turmoil but said he would leave it to his party to decide his fate.
“I caused anxiety and inconvenience to the public. I sincerely apologise,” he said in the televised address, his first public appearance in three days.
He said he would “entrust the party with measures to stabilise the political situation, including (his) term in office”.
The backing of PPP lawmakers came despite party head Han – who was allegedly on an arrest list on Tuesday night – saying Yoon must go.
Only three PPP lawmakers – Ahn Cheol-soo, Kim Yea-ji and Kim Sang-wook – voted in the end.
The failure of the impeachment motion “means a more protracted political crisis”, Vladimir Tikhonov, professor of Korean Studies at the University of Oslo, told AFP.
“We will have a politically dead president – basically unable to govern any longer – and hundreds of thousands coming to the streets every week until Yoon is removed,” he said.
