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South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol impeached by parliament two weeks after short-lived martial law decree

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South Korea’s parliament on Saturday impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol over his stunning and short-lived martial law decree, a move that ended days of political paralysis but set up an intense debate over Yoon’s fate, as jubilant crowds roared to celebrate another defiant moment in the country’s resilient democracy.

The National Assembly passed the motion 204-85. Yoon’s presidential powers and duties were subsequently suspended and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the country’s No. 2 official, took over presidential powers later Saturday.

The Constitutional Court has up to 180 days to determine whether to dismiss Yoon as president or restore his powers. If he’s thrown out of office, a national election to choose his successor must be held within 60 days.

It was the second National Assembly vote on Yoon’s impeachment after ruling party lawmakers boycotted it last Saturday. Some People Power Party lawmakers had since said they would vote for Yoon’s impeachment as public protests intensified and his approval rating plummeted.

South Korea Martial Law
South Korean lawmakers attend plenary session of the impeachment vote of President Yoon Suk Yeol at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024. 

Woohae Cho / AP


National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik said Yoon’s impeachment was an outcome driven by “the people’s ardent desire for democracy, courage and dedication.”

Hundreds of thousands of people gathered near the parliament roared in jubilation, waved banners and brandished colorful K-pop glow sticks, as a lead activist shouted on stage, “We have preserved the constitutional order!”

In a central Seoul plaza, another huge crowd gathered supporting Yoon, but they grew subdued after hearing he had been impeached. Both rallies have largely been peaceful.

Yoon issued a statement saying he would “never give up” and calling for officials to maintain stability in government functions during what he described as a “temporary” pause of his presidency.

“I will carry with me all the criticisms, encouragement and support directed toward me, and I will continue to do my utmost for the country until the very last moment,” Yoon said.

South Korea Martial Law
Participants react after hearing the news that South Korea’s parliament voted to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol outside the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024.

Lee Jin-man / AP


Yoon’s Dec. 3 imposition of martial law, the first of its kind in more than four decades in South Korea, lasted only six hours, but has caused massive political tumult, halted diplomatic activities and rattled financial markets. Yoon was forced to lift his decree after parliament unanimously voted to overturn it.

Han, who became the acting leader, ordered the military to bolster its security posture to prevent North Korea from launching provocations by miscalculation. Han asked the foreign minister to inform other countries that South Korea’s major external policies remain unchanged, and the finance minister to work to minimize potential negative impacts on the economy by the political turmoil, according to Han’s office.

South Korea’s executive power is concentrated with the president, but the prime minister leads the country if the president becomes incapacitated. Han is a seasoned official and has previously held a string of top government posts such as trade and finance and was the ambassador to the U.S. He also served as a prime minister from 2007-2008.

After declaring martial law, Yoon sent hundreds of troops and police officers to the parliament to try to impede its vote on the decree, before they withdrew after the parliament rejected Yoon’s decree. No major violence occurred.

Opposition parties and many experts accuse Yoon of rebellion, citing a law that categorizes as rebellion the staging of a riot against established state authorities to undermine the constitution. They also say that a president in South Korea is allowed to declare martial law only during wartime or similar emergencies and has no right to suspend parliament’s operations even under martial law.


South Korean President Yoon “destroyed his reputation,” says international relations professor

05:44

The impeachment motion alleged that Yoon “committed rebellion that hurts peace in the Republic of Korea by staging a series of riots.” It said Yoon’s mobilization of military and police forces threatened the National Assembly and the public and that his martial law decree was aimed at disturbing the constitution.

In a fiery speech on Thursday, Yoon had rejected the rebellion charges, calling his order an act of governance. The conservative Yoon said he aimed to issue a warning to the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, calling it “a monster” and “anti-state forces” that he argued has flexed its legislative muscle to impeach top officials and undermine the government’s budget bill for next year. He claimed the deployment of troops was meant to maintain order, rather than disrupt it.

Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung called Yoon’s speech a “mad declaration of war” against his own people.

Observers say Yoon’s speech suggested a focus on legal preparations to defend his martial law decree at the Constitutional Court, even as opinion surveys showed more than 70% of South Koreans supported his impeachment. A survey released Friday put Yoon’s approval rating at 11%, the lowest since he took office in 2022.

Some of Yoon’s claims don’t align with testimony by some military commanders whose troops were deployed to the Assembly.

South Korea Martial Law
Participants react after hearing the news of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment outside the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2024.

Lee Jin-man / AP


Most notably, Kwak Jong-keun, commander of the Army Special Warfare Command, said that after martial law was announced, Yoon called him and asked for his troops to “quickly destroy the door and drag out the lawmakers who are inside.” Kwak said he didn’t carry out Yoon’s orders.

Yoon is the third South Korean president impeached while in office. In 2016, parliament impeached Park Geun-hye, the country’s first female president, over a corruption scandal. The Constitutional Court upheld her impeachment and dismissed her from office.

In 2004, President Roh Moo-hyun was impeached at parliament over an alleged election law violation but the court later overturned his impeachment and restored his presidential powers. Roh jumped to his death in 2009, after he had left office, amid a corruption scandal involving his family.

Yoon has been banned from leaving South Korea.

He has the presidential privilege of immunity from criminal prosecution but that doesn’t extend to allegations of rebellion or treason. Subsequently, Yoon could be investigated, detained, arrested or indicted over his martial law decree, but many observers doubt that authorities will forcefully detain him because of the potential for clashes with his presidential security service.

Yoon’s defense minister, police chief and the head of Seoul’s metropolitan police agency have been arrested. Other senior military and government officials also face investigations.



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Tornado touches down in Northern California near Santa Cruz, flipping cars

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First Alert Weather Saturday morning forecast


First Alert Weather Saturday morning forecast

04:42

A tornado touched down in the Northern California town of Scotts Valley near Santa Cruz Saturday afternoon, flipping cars and knocking down power lines, according to authorities.

Scotts Valley is a small town about six miles north of Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz County a short distance off of State Highway 17.  

The incident happened at around 1:40 p.m. around the 200 block Mount Hermon Drive. Scotts Valley police initially posted an alert on social media advising residents to avoid the area following a multi-vehicle accident that had multiple power lines down and completely blocked the road in all directions.

Police later posted an update saying that witnesses reported it was not an accident “but rather a possible tornado” that touched down near the Target store at 270 Mount Hermon Drive “and threw multiple cars off the road.” 

Police did not provide any specific details on injuries. 

The National Weather Service had issued an severe thunderstorm warning in the area a short time before the tornado.

A later post on X by the Bay Area office of the National Weather Service confirmed that a tornado had occurred based on “video, photos, firsthand accounts, and radar signatures” 

The post noted that a NWS Survey team will further investigate the incident to provide a ranking.  

The tornado was just the latest extreme wind event connected to the powerful storm that passed through Northern California overnight. The first-ever tornado warning in San Francisco was issued by the National Weather Service early Saturday morning shortly before 6 a.m., alarming residents with a cell phone alert that woke many people up, according to reports on social media.

While that tornado did not materialize, high winds were causing impacts across the region, including a city-wide power outage in the North Bay city of Novato and a full closure of Interstate 580 in both directions at the San Joaquin and Alameda county line after a multiple-vehicle collision involving a big rig due to high winds.  





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ClimateWatch: Looking back on 2024’s extreme weather

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ClimateWatch: Looking back on 2024’s extreme weather – CBS News


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In this episode of “ClimateWatch,” CBS national environmental correspondent David Schechter looks back at the devastating hurricanes, landslides, flooding and more that impacted the U.S. this year.

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First-ever tornado warning shocks San Francisco residents during intense storm

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San Francisco gets first-ever tornado warning during intense storm


San Francisco gets first-ever tornado warning during intense storm

03:07

San Francisco residents were woken up by a tornado warning early Saturday morning during a powerful storm system that battered the region with heavy rain and wind.

It was the first-ever tornado warning for San Francisco, but not the first tornado, cited CBS News Bay Area meteorologist Paul Heggen.

The National Weather Service issued the warning for northern San Mateo County and parts of downtown San Francisco, just before 6 a.m. until 6:15 a.m.

According to the NWS, there was a cyclonic signature on the radar that had produced enough rotation signature to prompt the warning. 

“The radar scan at 5:52am clearly shows a “hook echo” offshore — that’s the signature we look for to identify a developing tornado. This feature was embedded within a broad area of very heavy rain, but it still stands out,” Heggen explained. 

The NWS Bay Area said the warning was over for San Francisco at 6:07 a.m. And let the tornado warning expire at 6:15 a.m.

The warning led to a flurry of social media posts from residents who were woken up by the alert on their cell phones. It was being reported as the first-ever tornado warning issued for San Francisco.

There was also a special alert issued for a possible water spout on San Francisco Bay in the area of the Bay Bridge that expired ten minutes after the tornado warning.

While the strongest part of the system has passed, isolated severe thunderstorms remain possible for parts of the Bay Area through the morning, the National Weather Service said. 

The risk of a severe storm is marginal, and the NWS said it will only last through Saturday morning.  According to PG&E, the storm conditions caused power outages for thousands of people in the Bay Area. 





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