Wed Dec 04 06:24:30 UTC 2024: ## South Korean President Faces Impeachment After Failed Martial Law Declaration
**Seoul, South Korea** – South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s attempt to impose martial law, the first in over four decades, ended in dramatic failure early Wednesday morning, triggering calls for his impeachment. The six-hour declaration, ostensibly to counter anti-state forces and threats from North Korea, was met with immediate defiance from the National Assembly and massive public protests.
Lawmakers, defying attempts by security forces to prevent them from entering the building, overwhelmingly voted to overturn the martial law decree. Even some members of President Yoon’s own party joined the opposition in the vote. Dramatic footage showed troops withdrawing from the parliament building following the vote.
Thousands of protesters gathered outside the National Assembly throughout the night, celebrating the reversal of the decree with chants of “We won!” The president ultimately conceded to the parliament’s decision and lifted the martial law order. Under South Korean law, a majority vote by the National Assembly forces the president to immediately rescind a martial law declaration.
The opposition Democratic Party (DP) immediately initiated impeachment proceedings against President Yoon, accusing him of treason. They have given him an ultimatum: resign immediately or face impeachment proceedings which must be voted on within 72 hours. A senior DP member, Park Chan-dae, stated that even with the lifting of martial law, President Yoon cannot evade charges of treason and should step down. Impeachment requires a two-thirds vote in the National Assembly, followed by a trial in the constitutional court.
President Yoon, who took office in 2022, has faced consistently low approval ratings, hovering around 20 percent. His party suffered a significant defeat in April’s parliamentary elections. Analysts suggest the martial law declaration was a desperate attempt to consolidate his power amid growing political instability. The move, however, triggered widespread alarm domestically and internationally.
The attempted imposition of martial law, involving a ban on political activities and media censorship, sent shockwaves through the South Korean economy. South Korean stocks opened down around 2 percent on Wednesday, and the won fell to a two-year low. The government pledged to inject unlimited liquidity into the market to stabilize the situation.
International reaction was swift, with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcoming the reversal of the martial law declaration and urging a peaceful resolution to political disagreements within the framework of the rule of law. The crisis highlights significant instability in South Korea, a key US ally and a major player in the Asian economy.
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