South Korea latest: South Korea's President Yoon suspended after MPs vote to impeach him

Summary

Thousands on the streets of Seoul are celebrating after South Korean MPs voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol
Yoon has been suspended while the prime minister is serving as acting president. The constitutional court now has six months to decide whether to sustain his impeachment
A total of 204 MPs approved the motion to impeach Yoon, who plunged the country into political turmoil with a short-lived martial law declaration last week
Yoon says "I am temporarily stopping my journey", but adds that he will "do my best for the country until the end"
What happens next? Seoul correspondent Jean Mackenzie explains how today's historic vote in parliament doesn't mean Yoon is gone for good

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South Korea has voted to impeach President Yoon - now what?

Live Reporting

Edited by Emily McGarvey and Tinshui Yeung, with reporting by Jean Mackenzie, Jake Kwon and Leehyun Choi in Seoul

Support for Yoon from his own party seems to be slipping awaypublished at 04:55 Greenwich Mean Time 14 December 2024
Jean Mackenzie
Seoul correspondent
Last week more than a hundred thousand protesters turned out calling for President Yoon's impeachment. Today even more people are expected.
It’s been 11 days since President Yoon Suk Yeol stunned this country by trying to impose martial law. He is refusing to resign, meaning it’s now up to politicians whether to force him from office.
For this to happen some members of Mr Yoon’s own party need to vote with the opposition. Last week they shielded him.
But as the President has dug in and people’s calls to remove him have got louder, the support from his party seems to be slipping away.
Image source, BBC/Leehyun Choi
Image caption,
Protesters have already gathered in their hundreds on a Saturday afternoon
'It will be a merry Christmas if Yoon disappears'published at 04:55 Greenwich Mean Time 14 December 2024
Hundreds of protesters have started gathering in front of the National Assembly, where the impeachment vote is due to take place later this afternoon.
The atmosphere is peaceful, with people giving out newspapers and free hot packs to attendees - sorely needed in Seoul, where temperatures are expected to reach a low of -4C (24.8F).
Some have even dressed up - our reporters on the ground spotted these two women dressed in Rudolf costumes, holding signs that say: "[It will be] a merry Christmas only if Yoon Seok Yul disappears".
Image source, BBC/Leehyun Choi
Welcome to our live coveragepublished at 04:52 Greenwich Mean Time 14 December 2024
Thanks for joining us as we bring you live updates from Seoul, where South Korean members of parliament will soon vote on whether they should impeach president Yoon Suk Yeol for his botched attempt to impose martial law.
The country was plunged into some of its worst political turmoil in years following the president's martial law declaration last week. It was quickly withdrawn hours later.
Hundreds of protesters calling for Yoon's impeachment have already gathered in front of the National Assembly, where the vote is set to take place in a matter of hours. More are expected to join.
Calls for his removal from office have been growing steadily. Yoon survived a first impeachment vote last Saturday, when the motion fell five votes short of the 200 needed to pass. This happened after members of Yoon's party boycotted that bill.
Opposition lawmakers, however, have since vowed to hold an impeachment vote every Saturday until Yoon is removed from office. Multiple members of Yoon's People Power Party (PPP) have now indicated that they will vote in favour of the motion today.
Stay with us as we bring you more.