In The Aftermath Of The Military Emergency Announcement, The South Korean Opposition Party Urges President Yoon To Resign Or Be Impeached

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol. (Wikimedia Commons/DEMA/Lee Kyung Won)

JAKARTA - Korea's main Democratic opposition party (DPK) on Wednesday demanded South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol resign immediately, following an emergency military announcement he made Tuesday and later repealed on the orders of the National Assembly.

During an emergency meeting of its lawmakers at the National Assembly, the DPK announced it would immediately begin President Yoon's impeachment process, unless he resigns on his own accord.

" Yoon's martial law declaration is a clear violation of the Constitution," the DPK said in its resolution, stressing President Yoon failed to comply with any requirements to declare martial law, quoted from The Korea Times Dec. 4.

"This is a serious act of rebellion and the right reason for impeachment," he said.

Earlier, President Yoon declared martial law "on Tuesday night in a surprise speech broadcast on television, accusing the country's opposition of "challenging" the government with "anti-state" activities.

Following the announcement, lawmakers from the ruling party and opposition held an emergency plenary session at the Assembly in the early hours of Wednesday, unanimously passing a motion demanding the revocation of martial law, with all 190 members present voting in favor.

Six hours later, President Yoon lifted martial law on Wednesday, six hours after he announced it, responding to the National Assembly's unanimous resolution to lift the law.

He announced the decision at around 4:20 a.m., about three and a half hours after the Assembly passed the motion.

"Last night, I declared martial law with a strong determination to save the nation in response to anti-state forces seeking to cripple the country's important functions and undermine the constitutional order of liberal democracy," President Yoon said.

"However, following a request by the National Assembly to lift the military emergency some time ago, I have withdrawn the military forces deployed for military emergency operations," he continued.

President Yoon urged the Assembly "to immediately stop reckless acts such as repeated impeachment, legislative manipulation, and budget disruptions that cripple state functions."

He referred to the repetitive movement of the opposition-led Assembly to impeach top government officials, pushing for budget cuts for "essential state functions", which he called "anti-state forces" when he declared martial law.