South Korea's opposition parties on Wednesday submitted a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol following a night of political chaos after the president declared an emergency martial law order before lifting it several hours after the National Assembly voted down the decree.
A total of 191 lawmakers from the main liberal opposition Democratic Party and five other minor opposition parties on Wednesday proposed the motion to oust Yoon from office in the wake of his shock move late the previous evening which has plunged the country into unprecedented political turmoil.
Opposition parties planned to report the motion to the plenary session on Thursday and vote on it between Friday and Saturday, according to multiple media outlets.
By law, the 300-member unicameral parliament is required to cast a secret vote on the impeachment motion within 72 hours after it is suggested to the plenary session. The constitution stipulates that the motion must be initiated by a majority of lawmakers and approved by at least two-thirds of National Assembly legislators.
If the impeachment motion is passed through parliament with the vote in favor of the impeachment from over 200 lawmakers, the constitutional court will deliberate it for up to 180 days, during which Yoon will be suspended.
Yoon stunned the nation in an unexpected late-night televised address on Tuesday, saying he had issued the emergency martial law order to "eradicate anti-state forces." It marked the first such declaration of martial law since the country's military dictatorship ended in the late 1980s.
The move sparked protests in Seoul and saw lawmakers rush to the National Assembly building in the capital, with the decree eventually being unanimously rejected in a vote early on Wednesday. Yoon then lifted the order he had imposed a few hours earlier, giving in to lawmakers who rejected military rule.
In a public statement on Wednesday, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo acknowledged his responsibility for the situation, and urged cabinet members to fulfill their duties to ensure the wellbeing of the country and to protect the daily lives of the people. He also expressed his willingness to "serve the public until the final moment" alongside other cabinet members.
Senior members of the cabinet have already offered to resign after holding a meeting to discuss the situation on Wednesday, according to the presidential office.
S Korean opposition parties submit motion to impeach President Yoon
S Korean opposition parties submit motion to impeach President Yoon
