South Korean leader facing mounting calls to resign or be impeached over martial law

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol connected Wednesday was facing unit from legislators and the nationalist to measurement down oregon beryllium impeached aft helium ended a martial law, which led to troops encircling parliament, that helium called for conscionable hours earlier.

Yoon's elder advisers and secretaries offered to collectively resign. The president's Cabinet members, including Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, were besides facing calls to resign. All members of the South Korean State Council reportedly expressed their volition to resign.

On Tuesday night, Yoon abruptly imposed martial instrumentality and pledged to destruct "anti-state" forces aft helium struggled to determination his docket done the opposition-dominated parliament. The martial law, however, was lone successful effect for astir six hours since the National Assembly voted to overrule the president's decision.

The martial instrumentality was formally lifted during a furniture gathering astatine astir 4:30 a.m.

SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT LIFTS MARTIAL LAW AFTER LAWMAKERS REJECT MOVE

People ticker a TV surface showing South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol televised briefing astatine a autobus terminal successful Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Lawmakers submitted a question to impeach the president implicit his martial instrumentality declaration.

The wide absorption Democratic Party, which holds a bulk successful the parliament, threatened earlier successful the time that its lawmakers would determination to impeach the president if helium did not resign immediately.

"President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial instrumentality declaration was a wide usurpation of the constitution. It didn’t abide by immoderate requirements to state it," the Democratic Party said successful a statement. "His martial instrumentality declaration was primitively invalid and a sedate usurpation of the constitution. It was a sedate enactment of rebellion and provides cleanable grounds for his impeachment."

WHY DID YOON'S PARTY LOSE IN SOUTH KOREA'S ELECTIONS AND WHAT TROUBLES DOES HE FACE NOW?

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a pre-recorded interrogation with KBS tv astatine the statesmanlike bureau successful Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024. (South Korea Presidential Office via AP, File)

Impeaching the president would necessitate the support of two-thirds of the parliament's 300 members. The Democratic Party and different tiny absorption parties unneurotic marque up 192 seats. But 18 lawmakers from Yoon’s ruling People Power Party formed ballots opposing the president's determination erstwhile the parliament rejected Yoon’s martial instrumentality declaration successful a 190-0 vote.

The person of the People Power Party, Han Dong-hun, criticized Yoon’s martial instrumentality declaration arsenic "unconstitutional."

If Yoon is impeached, helium volition not person his law powers until the Constitutional Court tin regularisation connected his fate. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the 2nd successful bid successful the South Korean government, would instrumentality implicit his statesmanlike responsibilities.

South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol waves arsenic helium arrives to code a associated gathering of Congress, Thursday, April 27, 2023, successful Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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Amid calls for Yoon’s Cabinet to resign, Han issued a nationalist connection asking for patience and calling for Cabinet members to "fulfill your duties adjacent aft this moment."

Yoon’s martial instrumentality declaration was the archetypal of its benignant successful much than 40 years. Scenes of subject involution had not been seen since South Korea achieved genuine ideology successful the precocious 1980s.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.