In a dramatic turn of events during the Dec. 7 National Assembly vote on President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment motion, all but one member of the ruling People Power Party vacated the chamber in a boycott.

The motion is likely to fail to pass due to a lack of quorum. Only Ahn Cheol-soo remained among the ruling party members to cast a vote.

However, two more lawmakers from the ruling party -- Kim Yea-ji, and Kim Sang-wook -- chose to return and cast their votes.

Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, a three-time presidential candidate, had expressed support for the impeachment motion before the vote, urging Yoon to resign for his botched attempt to impose martial law.

A former physician, software entrepreneur, and academic, Ahn made his first official entry into politics as an independent candidate in the 2012 South Korean presidential election. He then founded the centrist People's Party in 2016. This later merged with the People Power Party, aligning with conservative politics but maintaining an independent streak. Ahn also ran in the 2018 and 2021 elections for mayor of Seoul.

Kim Yea-ji, South Korea's first visually impaired lawmaker, is a disability rights advocate and a member of the People Power Party’s proportional representation bloc. Before entering politics, she was an accomplished pianist and educator, earning acclaim for her advocacy for expanding opportunities for people with disabilities.

Kim returned to vote almost immediately after leaving the chamber.

Returning almost an hour later the impeachment voting was initiated, Rep. Kim Sang-wook cast his vote, getting applause from the remaining opposition party lawmakers. However, his vote later turned out to be a vote against the impeachment.

Kim Sang-wook is a South Korean attorney and politician affiliated with the People Power Party. After passing the inaugural bar exam in 2012, Kim established his legal career in Ulsan, founding a law firm. In the 2024 general elections, he was elected as the representative for Ulsan's Nam-gu A constituency.

The impeachment vote requires a two-thirds majority, or 200 of 300 legislators, to pass. The opposition parties, led by the Democratic Party, control 192 seats, requiring support from at least eight ruling party lawmakers. However, the ruling party’s boycott is likely to ensure the motion fails to reach a quorum, resulting in its automatic dismissal.