The 12 dissenting votes from the People Power Party barely exceeded the 8 votes needed to pass the impeachment motion.
In addition to the 7 lawmakers who had publicly declared their support for impeachment early on, 5 more who had not publicly stated their positions also voted in favor of impeachment.
Unlike the first vote, where they collectively walked out, more lawmakers felt they had to vote this time, leading to predictions that there would be over 20 dissenting votes. However, the actual number of dissenting votes fell far short. Instead, there were 11 abstentions or invalid votes. Many lawmakers neither voted against the impeachment as per the party line nor actively supported it with the opposition. The majority of People Power Party lawmakers actively followed the party line and helped block the impeachment. Out of the 108 members, 96, or over 80%, voted against the impeachment as per the party line. During the last general meeting, many opposing opinions emerged, such as "If the impeachment motion passes, the tears of supporters will soak the Korean Peninsula" and "Impeachment is surrender." There were also concerns that the entire party could be treated as accomplices to rebellion, as the opposition had named former floor leader Choo Kyung-ho as a co-conspirator in the impeachment motion.
[Jin Jong-oh/People Power Party Supreme Council Member]
"What we are worried about now is that former floor leader Choo Kyung-ho is involved in this... It doesn't seem to be going according to the Democratic Party's flow."
Some lawmakers cited local public opinion. Woo Jae-joon, a lawmaker from Daegu, publicly declared, "I apologize to the people," but added, "I will vote against it according to local public opinion."
The 12 dissenting votes from the People Power Party put President Yoon Seok-yeol on the impeachment trial. However, the majority of People Power Party lawmakers, who tried to block the impeachment even in a situation where the National Assembly was being invaded by martial law forces, are likely to face criticism for being solely focused on political calculations.
The president attempted to control the National Assembly through martial law.
Most of the people watched the situation in real-time.
As stipulated by law, the motion to lift martial law was passed in that situation.
There was no immediate lifting, and it took over three hours to lift it.
Now, it is time to hold those who caused this chaos accountable, and the only two options are immediate impeachment or resignation.
There was a statement that he would not resign.
Now, there is no option other than impeachment.
The lawmakers opposing this claim that they need to reduce the confusion among the people. However, it was their actions that caused confusion among the people.
If you have eyes and ears, anyone could see and hear the situation.
Yet, they opposed it until the end.
Is there any reason to allow these people to exercise power on our behalf?
They must be held accountable for trying to perpetuate this chaos.
It seems more just to say that the meaning of conservatism, which upholds law and order, now lies with the Democratic Party.
It is time for a new political reform to take place.