South Korean lawmakers filed impeachment proceedings Wednesday against President Yoon Suk Yeol, following his short-lived attempt to impose martial law that sparked a tense standoff between parliament and armed forces in the U.S.-allied nation.
The impeachment push came after Yoon’s surprise martial law declaration, aimed at banning political activity and censoring media, collapsed when parliament unanimously rejected it and troops attempting to seize the National Assembly building were repelled by parliamentary staff using fire extinguishers.
Six opposition parties submitted the impeachment bill, with voting scheduled for Friday or Saturday. “We couldn’t ignore the illegal martial law,” Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yong-min told reporters. “We can no longer let democracy collapse.”
The crisis deepened as civic and labor groups held candlelight vigils in downtown Seoul reminiscent of protests that led to President Park Geun-hye’s 2017 impeachment. The leader of Yoon’s own People Power Party called for Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun’s dismissal and the cabinet’s resignation.
Yoon had justified the martial law declaration in a televised address Tuesday, citing threats from “pro-North Korean anti-state forces,” though he provided no specific evidence. He rescinded the order within six hours after parliament’s rejection.
The political turmoil rattled markets, with South Korean stocks falling 1.3% and the won hovering near two-year lows. Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok promised “unlimited liquidity” support for financial markets, while major employers including Naver Corp and LG Electronics advised employees to work from home.
If more than two-thirds of lawmakers support impeachment, the constitutional court would then need six of nine justices to approve Yoon’s removal. His party holds 108 seats in the 300-member legislature.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed Yoon’s decision to withdraw martial law, while planned defense talks and joint military exercises between the allies were postponed amid the crisis.
