(8th LD) All but 3 ruling party lawmakers boycott vote on Yoon impeachment motion

(ATTN: UPDATES with latest developments on vote; CHANGES headline)
By Lee Haye-ah

SEOUL, Dec. 7 (Yonhap) -- All but three lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party (PPP) boycotted a vote on an impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday, reinforcing views that Yoon may survive impeachment over his short-lived attempt to impose martial law earlier this week, which left South Korea in political turmoil.

The vote was under way during a plenary parliamentary session, with the participation of all 192 opposition lawmakers and only three PPP lawmakers -- Reps. Ahn Cheol-soo, Kim Yea-ji and Kim Sang-wook.

Other PPP lawmakers had filed out of the session after taking part in a revote on a bill calling for a special counsel investigation into first lady Kim Keon Hee's corruption allegations, which was ultimately rejected.

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik called on PPP lawmakers to return to the session and cast their votes for the impeachment motion.

"You must vote," he said from the parliamentary hall where the session was under way. "That is the duty of a patriot, a National Assembly member of the Republic of Korea and an institution that represents the people."

The motion will be scrapped unless it meets the quorum of 200 votes.

It also requires the support of the same number of lawmakers, or two-thirds of the 300-member parliament, in order to pass.

The main opposition Democratic Party and five other minor opposition parties earlier submitted an impeachment motion, arguing Yoon's martial law declaration constituted violations of the Constitution and other laws.

At least eight of the 108 PPP lawmakers would need to break from their official party line and vote in favor of impeachment.

By law, an impeachment motion must be put to a vote between 24 and 72 hours after it is reported to a plenary session.

The deadline for the current motion is 12:48 a.m. Sunday.

hague@yna.co.kr
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