Seoul

Opposition parties Wednesday (Dec 4) submitted a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol following his martial law announcement debacle.

“We’ve submitted an impeachment motion prepared urgently,” representatives for six opposition parties including the main Democratic party said on Wednesday, The Guardian said in a report.

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The opposition will disuss the date and time for voting on the impeachment motion, that could happen on or before Friday.

Yoon's short-lived imposition of martial law saw troops encircle and storm the country’s parliament early Wednesday, only to withdraw later as lawmakers voted to lift it.

Yoon’s martial law fiasco

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The embattled president on Tuesday night invoked emergency martial law and vowed to eliminate “anti-state” forces in an opposition-dominated parliament.

However, within six hours, the National Assembly convened and overruled the president, with all the 190 lawmakers present voting against the martial law.

The emergency was formally lifted at 4:30 am local time following a cabinet meeting.

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Senior aides offer to resign

Amidst silence from Yoon, his office said on Wednesday that senior advisors and secretaries for the president had offered to step down en masse.

The opposition earlier said the imposition of the martial law was “a clear violation of the constitution.”

Also read: South Korea president declares martial law to protect nation from `communist forces`

“President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration was a clear violation of the constitution. It didn’t abide by any requirements to declare it,” the Democratic Party said in a statement. “His martial law declaration was originally invalid and a grave violation of the constitution. It was a grave act of rebellion and provides perfect grounds for his impeachment.”

Meanwhile, protesters were seen marching towards the presidential office in Seoul on Wednesday (December 4) and asking President Yoon Suk Yeol to step down.

Will Yoon Suk Yeol be impeached?

A two-thirds majority is required in South Korea’s 300-member parliament to impeach the president.

Opposition parties, including the main Democratic Party, occupy 192 seats. But it’s highly likely that some members from Yeol’s own party may also throw their weight behind any potential impeachment process if initiated by the opposition.

Also read: South Korea imposes 90-day ban on deepfake political campaign videos

National Assembly officials said Wednesday that at least 10 members from Yeol’s People Power Party voted in favour of rejecting the martial law, indicating that they might very well vote to remove the president from the top position.

If impeached, Yeol will immediately lose his constitutional powers and would have to rely on a court for his fate. Meanwhile, PM Han Duck-soo would be taking the charge of the government.

Under South Korean laws, the president can only declare martial law during “wartime, war-like situations or other comparable national emergency states.”

(With inputs from agencies)