As National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik read out the results of the impeachment vote Saturday, the crowds filling Seoul's Yeouido district erupted in celebration.

Car horns blared through the streets as tens of thousands of protesters, who had gathered throughout the day, broke into jubilant cheers and singing.

"I declare that the impeachment motion has passed – 204 in favor, 85 against, 8 abstentions, three null votes," Woo said, confirming the passage of the motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The breakthrough came a week after a similar attempt failed when all but three ruling party lawmakers walked out of the chamber, leaving it short of the necessary quorum.

Scenes from a historic day

By early afternoon, the usually staid Yeouido financial district had transformed into a vast protest ground. The human tide stretched for hundreds of meters, from the National Assembly entrance through the financial district to parks along the Han River.

Protesters hoisted balloons and flags bearing slogans condemning the president -- "Impeach Yoon Suk Yeol, the insurrectionist-in-chief!"

Temporary stages dotted the landscape, hosting speeches and performances. Through speakers, K-pop anthems, including Girls' Generation's "Into the New World" -- for some time a staple at political protests here -- filled the air.

From teenagers to older adults, college activist groups to minority organizations, people from all walks of life stood shoulder to shoulder as they held signs demanding Yoon's removal.

Among them was Lee Je-hee, an 18-year-old from Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, who distributed pamphlets alongside fellow teenage activists.

"I've always cared about human rights and youth activism -- that's why I'm here," Lee said. "People might say I'm too young, but standing up for democracy isn't about age. My friends and I are going to keep speaking up."

“He's getting exactly what he deserves," said a 75-year-old man from Yongin, who compared the president to a stray dog. "You can't just trample over people's rights and get away with it. We have to stand up and fight back."

"We saw this same nightmare play out in the '80s," he added, referring to the 1980 martial law under the military junta that preluded the massacre in Gwangju. "That was a barbaric time. We can't let it happen again. Not today."

Foreign residents also turned out at the historic protests.

"I believe there is truth in the voices of the people on the streets," said one Japanese protester, who had come with a friend to show solidarity. "I hope this nonsensical situation gets resolved quickly. I'm glad to be here supporting everyone."

Police estimated the crowd at 85,000. At 4 p.m., as opposition leader Park Chan-dae rose to introduce the impeachment bill, the crowd fell silent and listened intently to the proceedings.

By 4:45 p.m., when word spread that all 300 lawmakers had participated in the vote, the crowd erupted in cheers of relief.

Victory and aftermath

When the massive screens showed the impeachment motion's passage at 5 p.m., the crowd filling Yeouido exploded into cheers and applause.

Due to weak cell signals and the enormous crowd size, the news spread gradually through the gathering, with people asking one another to confirm the 204-vote victory. The cheers grew progressively louder as word traveled from one group to the next.

Dozens of protest balloons soared into the sky. The crowd's rendition of '"Into the New World" swelled in volume, its lyrics about "farewell to sadness" finally ringing true for them. Other popular K-pop numbers followed as people sang along, waving signs and glow sticks.

"It's really cold out here but I felt it was my duty as a citizen," said a woman in her 50s who joined the rally alongside her daughter from Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province. She clutched a glow stick for K-pop idol group BigBang as she spoke. "I'm so glad to be witnessing this historic moment. I just hope our democracy gets back on track."

Yet beneath the celebrations, a current of unresolved anger ran deep within the crowd. Many protesters expressed both relief at the impeachment's success and deep frustration that only 204 lawmakers had voted to remove the president.

For them, this victory marked not an end but a beginning -- the first step toward fuller accountability.

"The tension of the past 10 days is finally breaking, but seriously -- only 204 votes?" said Song Ji-han, a 28-year-old graduate student. "I hope the Constitutional Court takes care of it quickly. Our country was just resuscitated from death -- the court should do their work to fully bring it back to life."

A writer in his 40s, who asked to be identified only by his surname Kang, expressed similar sentiments in stronger terms. Though relieved by the outcome, he voiced frustration with the ruling party's continued support of the president.

"The ruling party has shown its true colors -- they're completely against what the people want," said Kang. "And Yoon? Impeachment is just the beginning. He needs to face real consequences. We need to drain the swamp completely."

As dusk fell and the crowds began to disperse, a new chant rose from the streets of Yeouido: "Arrest the President! Arrest the President!"

The Korea Herald reporters Lim Jae-seong and Lee Jung-youn contributed to this report.