A South Korean legislative push to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived imposition of martial law fell through on Saturday after most lawmakers from his conservative governing party boycotted the vote. The defeat of the motion is expected to intensify public protests in South Korea.

Impeaching Yoon required support from two-thirds of the National Assembly, or 200 of its 300 members. The Opposition parties who brought the impeachment motion had 192 seats, but only three lawmakers from People Power Party participated in the vote.