South Korea’s opposition parties submit a motion to impeach President Yoon over sudden martial law

SUMMARY

South Korea’s opposition parties have submitted a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol following his abrupt martial law declaration, which was quickly overruled by parliament. The declaration, lasting only six hours, prompted military deployment around the National Assembly and was widely criticized as unconstitutional. The impeachment motion, requiring a two-thirds parliamentary majority and subsequent Constitutional Court approval, could be voted on as early as Friday. Opposition leaders accused Yoon of a “grave violation” of the constitution, describing his actions as rebellion. Yoon’s martial law suspended parliamentary functions, a move experts and lawmakers argue exceeds constitutional limits. The incident recalls South Korea’s past military regimes, with troops attempting to block lawmakers from entering parliament. However, the martial law was overturned in a unanimous 190-0 vote. Yoon now faces mounting calls for resignation.