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SEOUL, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- South Korea's opposition parties submitted an impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday afternoon, just hours after his short-lived attempt at imposing martial law was overturned by lawmakers. The main opposition Democratic Party and five other minor parties submitted the motion as pressure mounts on Yoon to leave office in the wake of his shocking declaration of martial law late Tuesday night.
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Lawmaker Kim Youngmin said at a news conference that the motion could be voted on as early as Friday.
An impeachment would require the support of two-thirds of the 300-member parliament. The opposition controls 192 seats, needing an additional eight votes from the president's People Power Party to pass the motion.
If the impeachment passes, the Constitutional Court must reach a decision within six months, according to South Korean law. Prime Minster Han Duck-soo would relieve Yoon of his duties and step in as interim leader during this period.
In an emergency session at 1 a.m. Wednesday morning, 190 lawmakers voted to demand lifting martial law. The parliamentary speaker's office said the vote makes the Yoon martial law declaration void, according to the country's constitution.
The vote was unanimous among the lawmakers who showed up for the session.
Roughly 280 troops broke into the National Assembly building after the martial law declaration via two dozen helicopters, parliament Secretary-General Kim Min-ki said Wednesday. Live television footage showed parliamentary aides trying to block the soldiers by spraying fire extinguishers.
After the parliamentary vote, the martial law decree was formally lifted around 4:30 a.m. during a Cabinet meeting.
The fallout continued throughout Wednesday, with President Yoon's entire Cabinet and all of his aides offering to step down from their posts in the aftermath of the six-hour martial law debacle.
Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun resigned on Wednesday evening, taking full responsibility for all matters related to the martial law declaration.
In a statement sent to reporters, Kim said that the soldiers who performed their duties under martial law were following his instructions.
"All responsibility lies with me," Kim said.
He added that the ministry will "make every effort to manage current issues stably while ensuring that there are no disruptions in national defense operations."
Yoon's declaration was the first time martial law had been imposed in South Korea since 1980. For many, it brought back memories of the decades-long rule of dictator President Park Chung-hee, who was assassinated in 1979, and the military dictatorship under Chun Doo-hwan that followed.
South Korea only held its first free presidential elections in 1987 after years of pro-democracy demonstrations that were often met with brutal crackdowns.
In an unannounced television address on Tuesday night, Yoon announced the martial law decree by charging his opponents with anti-state activities against the government.
"I declare martial law in order to eradicate the shameless pro-North Korea anti-state forces that are plundering the freedom and happiness of our people and to protect the free constitutional order," Yoon said in a televised speech.
Though he cited North Korea, President Yoon was facing a raft of domestic problems and scandals with a popularity rating that had fallen to 17% last month. He faced an opposition-controlled legislation that slashed his proposed budget and was moving forward with impeachment motions against Yoon's state auditor and chief prosecutor.
The official martial law decree Tuesday, issued by Gen. Park An-su, South Korea's Army Chief of Staff, banned all political activities, including demonstrations and political party activities.
"Fake news, public opinion manipulation and false propaganda are prohibited," it added, warning that violators could be arrested without a warrant.
A large crowd of protesters gathered outside the National Assembly building early Wednesday morning, however, chanting "End martial law!" and "Arrest Yoon Suk Yeol!"
Protests continued through Wednesday, with evening candlelight vigils announced in cities around the country.
On the steps of the National Assembly Wednesday night, a crowd of several hundred gathered, waving placards that called for Yoon's arrest and impeachment and chanting for the beleaguered president to step down from office.
Many of the protesters were holding candles, a symbol of the peaceful "Candlelight Revolution" movement that led to the ouster of former President Park Geun-hye in 2017.
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, one of the country's largest umbrella labor groups, said Wednesday it would go on an indefinite strike until Yoon steps down.
"We will stop production and block Yoon Seok-yeol's rampage," KCTU chairman Yang Kyung-soo said in a statement.
