South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday survived an impeachment motion over his failed attempt earlier this week to impose martial law.

A motion of impeachment to remove him from office was tabled by six opposition parties, including the main opposition Democratic Party, but it failed when parliament failed to reach a minimum quorum of 200 lawmakers.

To pass, the impeachment motion needed the support of at least eight lawmakers from Yoon's People's Power Party (PPP) to reach the minimum threshold of 200 in the 300-seat parliament. In the end, there were only three. Without the required quorum, the impeachment motion was overruled.

Currently, the opposition parties enjoy the support of 192 legislators, including the Speaker of the Assembly. However, of the 190 lawmakers who voted against Yoon's martial law decree during an emergency parliamentary session overnight on Tuesday, 18 were from the PPP.

Yoon, 63, apologized to the nation for his failed attempt earlier this week to impose martial law and said he would not attempt such a step again. Yoon was elected in 2022 for a five-year term that will end in 2027.

He imposed martial law late on Tuesday, but it was lifted within six hours. /AA