S. Korea president apologizes, but doesn't resign over ML fiasco

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared set to survive an impeachment vote Saturday even as he apologized for the turmoil but stopped short of stepping down, saying he would leave it to his party to decide his fate.

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"I caused anxiety and inconvenience to the public. I sincerely apologize," he said in the televised address.

He said he would "entrust the party with measures to stabilize the political situation, including my term in office."

Yoon stunned the nation and the international community on Tuesday night by suspending civilian rule, but was forced into a U-turn after lawmakers nixed his decree.

Opposition parties, which hold 192 seats in the 300-seat parliament, filed the impeachment motion which needed 200 votes to pass.

But all but one members of Yoon's People Power Party on Saturday filed out of the chamber before the vote, live TV footage showed, meaning that the motion lacked the necessary quorum.

The outcome is likely to enrage the tens of thousands of people demonstrating outside parliament calling for Yoon's ouster.