South Korean President Faces Impeachment Vote After Short-Lived Martial Law

The impeachment vote is expected as early as Dec. 6 and requires the support of two-thirds of Parliament to pass.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during the declaration of emergency martial law at the Presidential Office in Seoul, South Korea, on Dec. 3, 2024. South Korean Presidential Office via Getty Images

South Korean opposition parties submitted a bill to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol after he imposed a short period of martial law, during which troops were ordered to secure the parliament building on Dec. 3.

Yoon said that martial law was needed to protect the free constitutional order and because the opposition—which has a majority in the nation’s unicameral National Assembly—was allegedly paralyzing state affairs and sympathizing with North Korea.