An online petition demanding the impeachment of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol faced technical difficulties due to a surge in signatories, according to the parliament's speaker, who assured a swift resolution to the problem. Since its launch on June 20, the petition on the National Assembly's website has garnered over 811,000 signatures, urging lawmakers to draft a bill to impeach Yoon, citing his unsuitability for office.
In a late Sunday statement, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik expressed regret over the technical issues and pledged to safeguard the public's constitutional rights. On Monday, individuals attempting to sign the petition encountered delays of up to four hours, with a temporary error message indicating over 30,000 users were queued to access the site. The presidential office has not yet issued a response.
The petition alleges Yoon of corruption, escalating tensions with North Korea, and endangering public health by failing to prevent Japan from discharging treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant. By law, any petition with over 50,000 signatures must be referred to a parliamentary committee for consideration of a vote. However, the majority-holding opposition Democratic Party appears reluctant to transform the petition into an impeachment bill, with no formal discussions reported yet.
Impeachment of a president requires a two-thirds majority in parliament, followed by deliberation by the Constitutional Court to determine the president's fate. Yoon's popularity has remained low since his 2022 inauguration, with approval ratings stagnant around 25% since April. South Korea's parliament has previously impeached two presidents: Roh Moo-hyun in 2004, who was reinstated, and Park Geun-hye in 2017, who was removed from office.
