Facing intense pressure from lawmakers and the public, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is under mounting calls to resign or face impeachment following his short-lived declaration of martial law, which saw troops surrounding the parliament building.
In response to the outcry, President Yoon’s top aides and secretaries offered their resignations. Cabinet members, including Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, also faced similar calls to step down, with all members of the State Council reportedly expressing their intent to resign.
Yoon’s unexpected imposition of martial law on Tuesday night, aimed at quelling what he termed “anti-state” forces obstructing his legislative agenda, lasted only about six hours. The National Assembly swiftly overturned the presidential decree.
The martial law was officially lifted during a cabinet meeting at approximately 4:30 a.m.
A motion to impeach the president for his actions is underway.
The ruling Democratic Party, holding a parliamentary majority, had earlier issued an ultimatum: resignation or impeachment. In a statement, the party declared the martial law declaration unconstitutional, a grave violation, and grounds for impeachment.
Impeachment requires a two-thirds majority in the 300-member parliament. While the opposition parties collectively hold 192 seats, notably, 18 lawmakers from Yoon’s People Power Party voted against the president’s martial law declaration in the 190-0 vote rejecting it.
The leader of the People Power Party, Han Dong-hun, condemned Yoon’s declaration as unconstitutional.
Should impeachment proceed, President Yoon would be temporarily stripped of his powers pending a Constitutional Court ruling. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo would assume presidential duties in the interim.
Amidst the calls for Cabinet resignations, Prime Minister Han urged patience and called upon Cabinet members to continue their duties.
Yoon’s martial law declaration was the first in over four decades, marking the first time the country has seen such military intervention since the establishment of genuine democracy in the late 1980s.