Lawmakers in South Korea are in favor of temporarily restricting the president's authority following the brief imposition of martial law.

After President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law for a brief period this week, South Korean lawmakers are advocating for the suspension of his constitutional powers, increasing the likelihood of impeachment.

On Saturday, opposition parties are advocating for a parliamentary vote on Yoon's impeachment, claiming his martial law declaration was an "unconstitutional, illegal rebellion or coup."

President Yoon stunned democratic allies by declaring martial law late Tuesday night, causing chaos in South Korea. However, the country's parliament voted to cancel martial law just six hours later. Despite this, the incident has effectively frozen the country's politics. Thousands of protesters have marched in the streets of Seoul since Wednesday, demanding Yoon's resignation and investigation.

To pass an impeachment motion, the president's People Power Party must have the support of some of its members. The opposition parties have a combined total of 192 seats, while the PPP has 108 lawmakers.

In a party meeting, Han Dong-hun, the leader of PPP, emphasized the urgency of suspending Yoon's presidential duties and powers, stating that Yoon's actions pose a "significant risk of extreme measures, such as attempting to impose martial law, which could endanger the Republic of Korea and its citizens."

The president ordered the arrests of unspecified politicians based on accusations of "anti-state activities" during martial law, according to Han.

Yoon's martial law decree was overturned by 18 lawmakers from Han's minority faction within the ruling party, who voted with opposition lawmakers.

If Yoon is impeached, he would be suspended until the Constitutional Court determines whether to remove him from office or restore his presidential power.

In a televised speech on Friday, Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung emphasized the urgency of suspending Yoon "as soon as possible."

Yoon's martial law enforcement was characterized by "rebellion and a self-coup," according to Lee. This move caused significant harm to the country's image and hindered foreign policy, as evidenced by criticism from the Biden administration and the cancellation of visits to South Korea by foreign leaders.

President Yoon has not responded to Han's comments and has not made any public appearances since lifting martial law.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.