By Aldgra Fredly
Contributing Writer
South Korean opposition parties submitted a bill to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol after he imposed a short period of martial law, during which troops stormed into the parliament building on Tuesday.
Yoon claimed that martial law was needed to protect the free constitutional order and because the opposition was sympathizing with North Korea.
Within hours of the president’s martial law declaration — in defiance of a ban on political activities — South Korea’s parliament, with 190 of its 300 members present, unanimously passed a motion for martial law to be lifted.
The president then rescinded the declaration of martial law, about six hours after its proclamation.
On Wednesday, six opposition parties submitted a bill calling for Yoon’s impeachment, saying that his declaration of martial law violated the constitution.
The impeachment bill is expected to be put to a vote as early as Friday, Yonhap News Agency reported. The bill will require the support of two-thirds of parliament before the impeachment can proceed.
The main opposition Democratic Party called for Yoon to resign.
“It was clearly revealed to the entire nation that President Yoon could no longer run the country normally. He should step down,” senior DP member of parliament Park Chan-dae said in a statement.
The president’s office said that several aides of Yoon have resigned after the martial law was lifted, including his presidential chief of staff, national security adviser, chief of staff for policy, and seven other senior officials, according to Yonhap.
South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun said on Wednesday that he would resign from his role and take responsibility for the events that followed the declaration. He claimed responsibility for the troop deployment to the building.
Han Dong-hoon, the leader of Yoon’s People Power Party, has distanced the party from the president’s decision-making.
“As the ruling party, I apologize to the people for today’s dire situation,” Han said in remarks shared by South Korea’s Kyunghyang Shinmun newspaper shortly after the president reversed his martial law decree.
Protests calling for Yoon’s resignation have been held in the capital city of Seoul. The U.S. Embassy in South Korea issued an alert on Wednesday advising U.S. citizens to “avoid areas where demonstrations are taking place.”
The embassy stated that it would cancel routine consular appointments for U.S. citizens and visa applicants in South Korea on Wednesday.
“Following President Yoon’s announcement to lift the martial law declaration, the situation remains fluid. U.S. citizens should anticipate potential disruptions,” the alert stated.
The surprise declaration of martial law late on Tuesday caused a standoff with parliament, which rejected Yoon’s attempt to impose a ban on political activity. The martial law decree banned all political activities, including the activities of the National Assembly and demonstrations, and censored media and publications. Under martial law, authorities may search and arrest suspected violators without a warrant.
The parliament’s secretary-general said that around 280 troops were deployed following the decree, with some jumping over the wall to enter the parliament building and breaking into the compound, local media reported.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States welcomed Yoon’s move to rescind the order.
“The United States has watched closely developments over the last 24 hours in the Republic of Korea,” Blinken said in a statement. “We continue to expect political disagreements to be resolved peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law.”
Reuters and Ryan Morgan contributed to this report.
