South Korea’s opposition-led parliament impeached President Jun Suk-jol on Saturday, voting to suspend him from official duties over his short-lived attempt to impose martial law last week.
Under the constitution, Prime Minister Han Duk-su, appointed by Jun, becomes acting president.
Jun is the second conservative president to be impeached in South Korea. Park Gin-hee was removed from office in 2017.
The decision came after some members of June’s People’s Power Party joined the opposition parties, which control 192 seats in the 300-member national assembly, breaking the two-thirds threshold needed for impeachment. The recall was supported by 204 representatives, 85 were against, three abstained, with eight invalid ballots.
Although suspended, Jun remains on duty. The Constitutional Court will decide whether to remove him in the next six months. If Jun is removed from office, early elections will be called.
