This weekend, the South Korean president will face an impeachment vote, according to lawmakers.
After calling for martial law, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol faces an impeachment vote and calls to resign.
This weekend, South Korean opposition lawmakers will vote to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is currently under police investigation following his brief declaration of martial law.
Yoon declared martial law on Tuesday in an attempt to ban political activity and assume state control of the media, but the measure was only in effect for six hours before the National Assembly voted to overrule the president's decision.
The resignation of Yoon's defense minister, who recommended the drastic measure, has been reported by Reuters. This move led to protests and caused concern among South Korea's international allies, including the United States.
The Democratic Party, which holds a majority in South Korea's legislature, announced that it will vote to impeach President Yoon at approximately 7 p.m. local time on Saturday. A spokesman for the opposition party made the announcement to reporters.
Earlier, Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Seung-won stated in the National Assembly that the declaration of emergency martial law by the Yoon Suk Yeol regime caused confusion and fear among our people, according to Reuters.
To impeach the president, two-thirds of the parliament's 300 members must approve, which is equivalent to 200 votes. The Democratic Party and other small opposition parties have a combined total of 192 seats. However, 18 lawmakers from Yoon's ruling People Power Party voted against the president's decision when the parliament rejected Yoon's martial law declaration in a 190-0 vote.
The People Power Party leader, Han Dong-hun, condemned Yoon's martial law declaration as unconstitutional. Nevertheless, the party has stated that it will not support impeachment.
If Yoon is impeached, he will lose his constitutional powers until the Constitutional Court determines his fate. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the second-in-command in the South Korean government, will assume the presidential responsibilities.
On Thursday, Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun resigned, leaving President Yoon's political future uncertain. Kim had proposed that the president declare martial law after his domestic agenda was thwarted in the opposition-controlled National Assembly.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office is investigating Kim for potential treason charges, according to Yonhap news agency. As a result, Kim is prohibited from traveling.
According to Yonhap, activists and a minority opposition party have filed a complaint against the president, leading police to investigate Yoon on charges of treason.
On Tuesday, martial law was declared and Yoon, Kim, Park, and Lee were accused of treason and other charges for their roles in the declaration.
Yoon is under pressure to resign ahead of Saturday's impeachment vote.
On Wednesday, Antony Blinken, the Secretary of State, informed Reuters that the US was not informed in advance of Yoon's statement, while his deputy, Kurt Campbell, stated that Yoon had made a grave mistake.
As a result of the 1950-1953 Korean War, the United States maintains 28,500 servicemembers in South Korea.
Since the late 1980s, South Korea has not witnessed scenes of military intervention, and Yoon's martial law declaration was the first of its kind in over 40 years.
Planet Chronicle Digital's Landon Mion and Reuters contributed to this report.
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