Here are the latest developments.

 

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Dec. 4, 2024, 5:42 a.m. ET8 minutes ago

John Yoon Victoria Kim Minho Kim and Choe Sang-Hun John Yoon and Choe Sang-Hun reported from Seoul.

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/12/04/world/south-korea-yoon-martial-law

 

Here are the latest developments.

Members of South Korea’s political opposition moved on Wednesday to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol after his brief declaration of martial law plunged the country into crisis.

 

Mr. Yoon’s surprise move late Tuesday incited chaos within one of America’s closest allies and evoked memories of post-World War II dictatorial regimes in South Korea that stifled peaceful dissent and created a police state. It was an audacious response to the gridlock in government that has hobbled Mr. Yoon’s tenure but it appeared to backfire over the course of a tense night, and before the sun rose in Seoul on Wednesday, he had backed down.

 

As evening fell, Mr. Yoon’s whereabouts were not publicly known and his political future was in grave doubt, as protesters at candlelight vigils demanded that he step down. The defense minister and several top aides to the president, including his chief of staff, tendered their resignations, South Korean news media reported.

 

Kim Yong-min, a lawmaker in the opposition Democratic Party, announced the motion to impeach Mr. Yoon at a news conference on Wednesday and said that it could be voted on as early as Friday. KBS, the national broadcaster, reported that six parties had jointly proposed the bill, though Mr. Yoon’s, the People Power Party, was not among them.

 

The National Assembly can impeach the president if more than two-thirds of lawmakers vote for it. Mr. Yoon’s party controls 108 seats in the 300-member legislature, so some members of his party would have to vote for impeachment for it to pass.

 

If the lawmakers vote to impeach Mr. Yoon, he would be suspended from office. For the president to be removed from office, the Constitutional Court must approve the impeachment in a trial.

 

Here’s what else to know:

 

Market jitters: South Korea’s stock market closed down 1.4 percent, recovering from steeper losses earlier in the day.

 

Succession rules: Under the constitution, if Mr. Yoon is impeached, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, a career civil servant, would step in to perform presidential duties until impeachment proceedings conclude. If Mr. Yoon is removed or steps down, a successor would need to be elected within 60 days.

 

Night of tumult: Nearly 300 troops stormed the National Assembly in Seoul on Tuesday night, which many South Koreans saw as an attempt to arrest lawmakers as they prepared to vote against the president’s declaration of martial law. Security camera footage released on Wednesday showed the dramatic scenes as military units arrived. The troops pulled back before entering the chamber where lawmakers were, and none were believed to have been arrested.

 

Frightening memories: The sudden imposition of martial law, for many Koreans, recalled the moment more than 40 years ago when the city of Gwangju rose up to protest oppressive measures by a military junta, which responded with a brutal, bloody crackdown.