President Yoon Suk Yeol, who found himself in a make-or-break crisis with his failed attempt to impose martial law on South Korea, managed to avoid impeachment Saturday thanks to a boycott of the vote by members of his party.

But Yoon seems unlikely to regain public trust or carry out his duties properly as leader of the country for the remainder of his term, because he publicly left all decisions, including his term in office, to his People Power Party, tasked with stabilizing a nation still reeling from shock and anger over the aborted martial law.

Hours ahead of the impeachment vote led by the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea on Saturday, Yoon said in a televised address that he is “sincerely sorry” for causing “anxiety and discomfort” to the Korean people over Tuesday night's martial law decree that he rescinded in less than six hours following the vote against it at the National Assembly.

Yoon said he would not make another attempt to impose martial law -- apparently in response to related rumors -- but his pledge about martial law was not what critics and those enraged by his reckless move wanted to hear. What they wanted was his decision to step down and take full responsibility for causing massive chaos in the nation.

Yoon said in the address that he “will not avoid legal and political responsibility related to the martial law declaration” but whatever he meant by that, it did not include his immediate resignation.

Hours later, the opposition parties, which together hold 192 seats in the 300-member National Assembly, held a vote on an impeachment motion against Yoon during a plenary session, but the motion failed to meet the quorum of 200 votes after all but three lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party boycotted the proceedings, despite large-scale protests outside the parliament.

But the political showdown is not over. The Democratic Party said it will submit the impeachment motion again early next week, a move aimed at forcing him out of office.

The embattled president also faces legal risks as well since the authorities have launched multiple investigations into the martial law declaration. On Sunday, the prosecution said it has booked Yoon as a suspect on charges of insurrection and abuse of power related to the short-lived declaration of martial law, citing numerous complaints.

With the political scene expected to witness a repeat of the impeachment vote followed by a boycott in the coming weeks, the Korean government confronts a virtual leadership vacuum in which the president stays on amid uncertainty about when he will step down.

Ruling People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon said in a joint statement with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Sunday that he would ensure the president’s “early” and “orderly” departure to minimize the chaos and stabilize the political situation.

Han said that Yoon would not take part in state affairs, including diplomacy, even before his departure, but he did not give out any details about how Yoon will leave office and what exactly he means by an “orderly” departure.

Given that Han said he will hold regular talks with the prime minister, the two figures are expected to take the helm in administering state affairs for the time being. But there is no road map for how long this emergency leadership will last and whether the joint operation will work seamlessly at a time when political turmoil shows no sign of abating as protesters take to the streets to put more pressure on Yoon to step down.

It is regrettable that this political turmoil has come at a time when the country faces a host of grave challenges. President Yoon said he imposed martial law out of “desperation,” but his reckless action put the Korean people in desperate need of an orderly end to the national chaos he created.