Live: South Korea’s President Yoon survives impeachment motion after ruling party lawmakers boycott ballot

A motion to impeach South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol failed on Saturday (Dec 7), after lawmakers from his ruling party boycotted the ballot despite huge protests outside parliament.

Opposition parties, which hold 192 seats in the 300-seat parliament, filed the impeachment motion that needed 200 votes to pass.

But almost all 108 members of Yoon’s People Power Party (PPP) filed out of the chamber before the vote. Only three of them cast ballots. 

Earlier in the day, Yoon earlier apologised to the nation and said the martial law declaration arose from his “desperation as president”. Following the parliamentary session, the ruling party’s leader said the president has agreed to an early departure from office.

Here are the latest developments: