A motion to impeach the South Korean president, Yoon Suk Yeol, over his ill-fated declaration of martial law this week has failed after members of his party boycotted the vote.
The walkout on Saturday meant the national assembly did not have the 200 votes needed to begin the process of forcing out the embattled Yoon.
“With a total of 195 votes, the number of members who voted did not reach the required two-thirds majority of the total members,” the national assembly speaker, Woo Won-shik, said. “Therefore, I declare that the vote on this matter is not valid.”
The dramatic walkout meant uncertainty surrounds Yoon’s fate.
Having indicated on Friday that some members of Yoon’s People Power party (PPP) could join opposition lawmakers and support impeachment, the mood had changed by Saturday, with MPs rallying around their embattled president.
Opposition parties, led by the Democrats, hold 192 seats in the 300-seat assembly and needed just eight PPP lawmakers to join them for the impeachment motion to succeed.
But the plan unravelled when members of the PPP filed out of the chamber just before the televised vote, leaving the assembly without enough MPs for the motion to pass unless they returned.
The lawmakers left to angry protests from some of those still in the chamber, while an estimated 150,000 people demonstrated outside.
Three PPP lawmakers returned to the chamber, but the assembly’s speaker, Woo Won-shik, stopped short of calling the result and appealed to other absent lawmakers to return “to protect the Republic of Korea and its democracy”.
Yoon is less than three years into his five-year single term. His declaration of martial law, which lasted six hours before it was overturned by MPs in the early hours of Wednesday, has drawn widespread condemnation across the South Korean political spectrum and triggered mass protests in Seoul and other cities.
Demonstrators booed, and some wept in frustration, as the lawmakers walked out on Saturday. “Even though we didn’t get the outcome we wanted today, I am neither discouraged nor disappointed because we will get it eventually,” said Jo Ah-gyeong, who was among the protesters.
Given their failure to start the legislative and legal process that could have led to the end of Yoon’s presidency, opposition parties could introduce a second impeachment motion, possibly as early as Wednesday.
There is speculation that PPP lawmakers wanted to avoid the drama of impeachment – a move that could hand the political advantage to the main opposition Democratic party when the country elects a new president – and try instead to arrange a more orderly exit.
Hours before MPs gathered at the national assembly, Yoon apologised for his short-lived attempt to impose martial law, promising to face any legal or political consequences.
In a two-minute televised address, his first public appearance since he rescinded the martial law order, Yoon said he was “very sorry” for the decision, which he said was born of desperation, and promised not to attempt to impose martial law again.
“I am very sorry and would like to sincerely apologise to the people who were shocked,” Yoon said, before bowing. “I leave it up to my party to take steps to stabilise the political situation in the future, including the issue of my term in office.”
Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the main opposition Democratic party, said Yoon’s apology was “very disappointing” and had only increased public anger and the sense of betrayal.
“The president’s very existence is the biggest risk to South Korea right now,” Lee said, maintaining that there was “no other solution” than his immediate resignation or removal through impeachment.
The leader of Yoon’s own party, Han Dong-hun, said the president’s early resignation was unavoidable and that he was no longer in a position to fulfil his duty, according to Yonhap.
The turmoil resulting from Yoon’s stunt has sparked alarm among key diplomatic partners, including neighbouring Japan and Seoul’s biggest ally, the US, as one of the strongest democracies in Asia faces a political crisis.
Opposition lawmakers claim Yoon’s martial law declaration amounted to a self-coup and drafted their impeachment motion around rebellion charges.
The Democratic party lawmaker Soyoung Lee sought to reassure the international community on Friday night.
“If President Yoon is impeached today or tomorrow, there is no need to be alarmed; the international community can continue to invest with confidence in Korea’s strong democracy and resilience,” she said.
The PPP decided to oppose impeachment at a lawmakers’ meeting, despite pleas by Han, who isn’t a lawmaker and has no vote.
A recent poll showed 73.6% of South Koreans support impeachment, with majority support even in traditional conservative strongholds.
Han said on Friday he had received intelligence that during martial law, Yoon ordered the country’s defence counterintelligence commander to arrest and detain unspecified politicians based on accusations of “anti-state activities”.
Hong Jang-won, the first deputy director of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, later told lawmakers that Yoon called after imposing martial law and had ordered him to help the defence counterintelligence unit to detain key politicians.
The targeted politicians included Han, Lee Jae-myung and the national assembly speaker Woo, according to Kim Byung-kee, one of the lawmakers who attended the meeting.
Yoon’s presidency has been plagued by policy failures, mounting economic problems and controversial appointments, as well as scandals involving his wife, Kim Keon-hee, who has proved to be his greatest political liability.
These include allegations of stock price manipulation, unlawful involvement in party candidate nominations, and accepting a 3m won (£1,675) Dior bag as a gift from a pastor.
Yoon has vetoed three separate bills seeking to establish a special counsel to investigate his wife, leading opposition lawmakers to include the alleged attempts to shield his family from investigation among their reasons for impeachment.
On Saturday, MPs voted down a fourth attempt to establish a special counsel to investigate Kim immediately before the impeachment motion. The back-to-back vote was designed to ensure ruling party lawmakers took part in both motions, but PPP lawmakers began leaving as soon as the first vote concluded.
Agencies contributed to this report