Protesters attend a rally demanding the arrest of impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol near the presidential residence in Seoul, South Korea on January 8, 2025. The letters read “Arrest Yoon Suk Yeol.”
| Photo Credit: AP

Thousands of South Koreans began gathering in the capital for rival demonstrations on Saturday (January 11, 2025), as investigators prepare another attempt to arrest suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived martial law decree.

Mr. Yoon resisted arrest in a standoff between his guards and investigators last week after his failed December 3 power grab plunged South Korea into its worst political crisis in decades.

Protesters both for and against Mr. Yoon were scheduled to gather in sub-zero conditions along major roads in the centre of Seoul on Saturday (January 11, 2025) — either demanding his arrest or calling for his impeachment to be declared invalid.

The country has bristled with tension for weeks after Mr. Yoon directed soldiers to storm Parliament, where they unsuccessfully tried to prevent lawmakers from voting down martial law. Since being impeached, Mr. Yoon has battened down the hatches.

“Despite our efforts, he continues to evade accountability, and both the police and the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) have really failed to act decisively,” said anti-Yoon protester and student Kim Min-ji, 25.

“It is crucial for us to raise our voices until he is removed from office,” he said.

Mr. Yoon supporter Su Yo-hahn, 71, said the sitting President’s martial law declaration which he alleged was to root out anti-state forces had “valid reasons”.

“He is someone who was elected by the people and represents our country. Saving Yoon is the way to save our nation,” said Su.

Mr. Yoon’s supporters were already rallying outside his residence early Saturday (January 11, 2025) before a major demonstration set for 1 pm (04:00 GMT) in central Seoul. Separate anti-Yoon rallies were planned for 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.

Mr. Yoon faces criminal charges of insurrection, one of a few crimes not subject to presidential immunity, meaning he could be sentenced to prison or even the death penalty.

If the warrant is executed, Mr. Yoon would become the first sitting South Korean President to be arrested.

His presidential security chief resigned Friday (January 10, 2025) as he faced questioning over why his guards blocked Mr. Yoon’s arrest on a day of high drama that forced investigators to climb down over safety fears.

The presidential security service guards including military troops shielded him from investigators in a six-hour standoff.

Mr. Park was again being questioned on Saturday (January 11, 2025) while acting PSS chief Kim Seong-hun refused to turn up to a third summons, opening him up to possible arrest.

“Kim Seong-hun… cannot leave his post for even a moment regarding presidential security matters,” the PSS said in a statement.

Far-right youth

The Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) said it will “prepare thoroughly” for its second attempt to arrest Mr. Yoon and warned that anyone obstructing them could be detained.

The National Office of Investigation, a police unit, sent a note to high-ranking police officials in Seoul requesting they prepare to mobilise 1,000 investigators for the fresh attempt, Yonhap reported.

Meanwhile, Mr. Yoon’s guards have reinforced his Seoul compound with barbed wire installations and bus barricades.

Separate from the insurrection probe, Mr. Yoon also faces ongoing impeachment proceedings. Lawmakers have already suspended him, but the Constitutional Court will decide whether to uphold this decision or restore him to office.

The court has slated January 14 for the start of Mr. Yoon’s impeachment trial, which would proceed even in his absence.

Polls show approval ratings for Mr. Yoon’s ruling party have been rising as the crisis drags on.

On Friday (January 10, 2025), Opposition parties submitted a resolution demanding the expulsion of a ruling People Power Party lawmaker who arranged a press conference in parliament for a far-right youth group named the Anti-Communist Youth Corps.

Lawmaker Kim Min-jeon faced criticism for associating with the group, which has dubbed one of its units “Baekgoldan”, the name of a highly controversial police unit that cracked down on democracy protesters in the 1980s and 1990s.

Hundreds of South Koreans, bundled up against freezing temperatures and snow, rallied overnight into Sunday (January 5, 2025) near the residence of impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol, calling for his ouster and arrest, as authorities prepared to renew their efforts to detain him over his short-lived martial law decree.

Dozens of anti-corruption agency investigators and police attempted to execute a detainment warrant against Mr. Yoon on Friday but retreated from his residence in Seoul after a tense standoff with the presidential security service that lasted more than five hours.

The one-week warrant for his detention is valid through Monday. There were no immediate indications that anti-corruption authorities were ready to send investigators back to the residence as of Sunday afternoon. Staff from the presidential security service were seen installing barbed wire near the gate and along the hills leading up to Mr. Yoon’s residence over the weekend, possibly in preparation for another detention attempt.

A Seoul court last Tuesday issued a warrant to detain Mr. Yoon and a separate warrant to search his residence after the embattled President repeatedly defied authorities by refusing to appear for questioning and obstructing searches of his office. But enforcing them is complicated as long as Mr. Yoon remains in his official residence.

Investigators from the country’s anti-corruption agency are weighing charges of rebellion after the conservative President, apparently frustrated that his policies were blocked by a legislature dominated by the liberal opposition, declared martial law on Dec. 3 and dispatched troops to surround the National Assembly.

The Assembly overturned the declaration within hours in a unanimous vote and impeached Mr. Yoon on Dec. 14, accusing him of rebellion, while South Korean anti-corruption authorities and public prosecutors opened separate investigations into the events.

If the anti-corruption agency manages to detain Mr. Yoon, it will likely ask a court for permission to make a formal arrest. Otherwise, Mr. Yoon will be released after 48 hours.

The Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials, which is leading a joint investigation with police and military investigators, says detaining Mr. Yoon would be “virtually impossible” as long as he is protected by the presidential security service. The agency has urged the country’s acting leader, Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, to instruct the service to comply with their execution of the detainment warrant, but Mr. Choi has yet to publicly comment on the issue.

The chiefs and deputy chiefs of the presidential security service defied summonses on Saturday from police, who planned to question them over the suspected obstruction of official duty following Friday’s events.

Mr. Yoon’s legal team said it will file complaints against the anti-corruption agency’s chief prosecutor, Oh Dong-woon, and approximately 150 investigators and police officers involved in Friday’s detention attempt, which they claim was unlawful. The team said it will also file complaints with public prosecutors against the country’s acting Defence Minister and police chief for ignoring the presidential security service’s request to provide additional forces to block the detention attempt.

Mr. Yoon’s lawyers had submitted an objection to the warrants against the president on Thursday, but the Seoul Western District Court dismissed the challenge on Sunday.

Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, called for the anti-corruption agency to move quickly to detain Mr. Yoon, saying it was deeply disappointing to see the agency “hesitating and letting time slip away.”

Hundreds of anti-Yoon protesters rallied for hours near the gates of the presidential residence from Saturday evening to Sunday, voicing frustration over the failed detention attempt and demanding stronger efforts to bring Mr. Yoon into custody. Separated by police barricades and buses, pro-Yoon protesters were gathering in nearby streets, denouncing his impeachment and vowing to block any efforts to detain him.

“With barely a day left before the execution deadline for Yoon Seok Yeol’s detainment warrant, the presidential security service continues to hide a criminal and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials cannot be more relaxed,” Kim Eun-jeong, an activist, said on a stage during the anti-Yoon rally.

“Angry citizens have already spent two freezing nights demanding his immediate detainment. Are their voices not being heard?”

Mr. Yoon’s lawyers have challenged the detention and search warrants against the President, saying they cannot be enforced at his residence due to a law that protects locations potentially linked to military secrets from search without the consent of the person in charge — which would be Mr. Yoon. They also argue the anti-corruption office lacks the legal authority to investigate rebellion charges and that police officers don’t have the legal authority to assist in detaining Mr. Yoon.

While the presidential security act mandates protection for Mr. Yoon, it does not authorize the presidential security service to block court-ordered detainments. The service’s attempts to block the execution of the warrant may amount to an obstruction of official duty, according to Park Sung-bae, an attorney specializing in criminal law. While the President mostly has immunity from prosecution while in office, the protection does not extend to allegations of rebellion or treason.

The agency said its outnumbered investigators had several scuffles with presidential security forces that threatened their safety and expressed “serious regret” that Mr. Yoon was not complying with the legal process.

After getting around a military unit guarding the residence’s grounds, the agency’s investigators and police were able to approach within 200 metres (yards) of Mr. Yoon’s residential building but were stopped by a barricade comprising around 10 vehicles and approximately 200 members of the presidential security forces and troops. The agency said it wasn’t able to visually confirm whether Mr. Yoon was inside the residence.

The Defence Ministry says the troops at Mr. Yoon’s official residence are under the control of the presidential security service. Kim Seon-ho, the acting Defence Minister, conveyed his concern to the presidential security service, saying that deploying military personnel to block the execution of the detention warrant would be “inappropriate” and requesting that the troops aren’t placed in a position where they might confront police, according to the ministry.

Mr. Yoon’s Defence Minister, police chief and several top military commanders have already been arrested over their roles in the period of martial law.

Mr. Yoon’s presidential powers have been suspended since the National Assembly voted to impeach him on Dec. 14. Mr. Yoon’s fate now lies with the Constitutional Court, which has begun deliberations on whether to uphold the impeachment and formally remove Mr. Yoon from office or reinstate him.

Seoul:

Thousands of South Korean protesters braved a snowstorm Sunday over suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol who was still resisting arrest over a failed martial law bid less than 48 hours before the warrant expires.

Yoon plunged the country into political chaos last month with the bungled martial law declaration and has since holed up in the presidential residence, surrounded by hundreds of loyal security officers resisting arrest efforts.

On Saturday, thousands descended on his residence and major roads in Seoul a day after a failed arrest attempt — with one camp demanding Yoon’s arrest while the other calling for his impeachment to be declared invalid. 

Pro-Yoon supporters massed again in front of his home Sunday despite bitter snow conditions hammering the capital overnight that left it under a white blanket, while an anti-Yoon rally was slated for 2 pm local time (0500 GMT).

“Snow is nothing for me. They can bring all the snow and we’ll still be here,” said anti-Yoon protester Lee Jin-ah, 28, who had previously worked at a coffee shop.

“I quit my job to come to protect our country and democracy,” she said, adding that she had camped outside the residence overnight.  

Park Young-chul, in his 70s, said the snowstorm wouldn’t deter him from showing up to back Yoon before the warrant expires at midnight on Monday.

“I went through war and minus 20 degrees in the snow to fight the commies. This snow is nothing. Our war is happening again,” he told AFP.

The rallies in the cold come as Yoon this week said he was watching protests in support of his rule on a YouTube livestream, pledging to “fight” those trying to question his short-lived power grab.

Yoon faces criminal charges of insurrection, one of a few crimes not subject to presidential immunity, meaning he could be sentenced to prison or, at worst, the death penalty.

If the warrant is executed, Yoon would become the first sitting South Korean president to be arrested.

Blinken Wades In

The country’s opposition Democratic Party called for the dissolution of the security service protecting Yoon after investigators met a wall of hundreds of security forces preventing access to him.

“The Presidential Security Service has violated the constitution, effectively positioning itself as a force of insurrection,” floor leader Park Chan-dae told parliament Saturday.

“There is no longer any justification for its existence.”

The service’s top officials refused a police request Saturday for questioning, citing the “serious nature” of protecting Yoon.

The Corruption Investigation Office (CIO), probing the martial law declaration, and the opposition urged acting president Choi Sang-mok — in office for just a week and a party colleague of Yoon — to order the presidential security service to cooperate.

Late Sunday US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Seoul, likely to wade into the crisis of a key security ally in talks Monday with his counterpart Cho Tae-yul.

He is expected to delicately encourage continuity with the policies, but not tactics, of the impeached president. 

Yoon’s lawyers decried Friday’s arrest attempt as “unlawful and invalid”, and vowed to take legal action.

In scenes of high drama, Yoon’s guards and military troops shielded him from investigators who eventually called off Friday’s arrest attempt citing safety concerns.

The Constitutional Court slated January 14 for the start of Yoon’s impeachment trial, which if he does not attend would continue in his absence. 

South Korea’s Constitutional Court has up to 180 days to determine whether to dismiss Yoon as president or restore his powers.

Until then, while suspended, Yoon holds the title of president.

Former presidents Roh Moo-hyun and Park Geun-hye never appeared for their impeachment trials.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Pro-Yoon protesters attend a rally to support impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol near his official residence, in Seoul, South Korea, on January 4, 2025.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

South Korean investigators attempted to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol at his residence on Friday (January 3, 2025) over a failed martial law bid but were blocked by his security forces.

They stood down just days before the arrest warrant expires on Monday (January 6, 2025).

AFP takes a look at what could happen next:

Another arrest

The Corruption Investigation Office (CIO) may attempt to execute the arrest warrant for Mr. Yoon again before the January 6 deadline.

“Future actions will be decided after further review,” it said after halting its initial attempt.

If Yoon is arrested before that date, the CIO will have 48 hours to either request a new warrant for his formal arrest or release him.

Yoon’s lawyers have repeatedly said that the warrant issued by the court is “unlawful” and “illegal”, pledging to take further legal action against it.

The Presidential Security Service has also asserted that the CIO “unlawfully intruded” into the presidential residence and said it would hold the investigators “legally accountable” for their actions.

Two top officials from Yoon’s presidential security service also refused a police request to appear for questioning on Saturday, citing the “serious nature” of protecting him, the service said in a statement sent to AFP.

Even if January 6 comes and goes, the CIO can reapply for the same seven-day detention warrant.

Stronger warrant

If they fail to detain Yoon before the January 6 deadline, investigators could seek a new, stronger arrest warrant that would allow them to detain him longer than the 48 hours allowed under the current court order.

Experts say it’s likely a court would approve a stronger warrant, given that Yoon has already refused to appear for questioning three times and has not complied with the existing warrant.

A stronger warrant is typically issued when “a suspect refuses to cooperate with the investigation”, political commentator Park Sang-byung told AFP.

Yoon has also “incited and encouraged extreme (right-wing) supporters, which could be seen as effectively admitting to the criminal charges in the eyes of the court”, he added.

But executing this type of warrant, even if issued by the court, may not be feasible if Yoon again refuses to leave his residence with the assistance of his security forces, which include a military unit.

Acting president acts

The prolonged standoff within the presidential residence compound on Friday led the CIO and opposition Democratic Party to urge acting President Choi Sang-mok to order the presidential security service to cooperate.

“It is practically impossible to execute the arrest warrant as long as the security officials from the Presidential Security Service continue their protection,” the CIO said in a statement.

Choi, a member of Yoon’s ruling People Power Party who also serves as deputy prime minister and finance minister, is yet to comment on the issue.

Experts suggest that if Choi orders the security service to cooperate, the chances of Yoon being arrested before the January 6 deadline will increase.

But the acting president has already faced severe backlash from his party for appointing two new justices to fill three vacancies on the Constitutional Court.

That decision has increased the likelihood of the court upholding Yoon’s impeachment — with at least six out of eight justices needed to back the decision.

Given the situation, “it is unlikely that Choi would cooperate with the CIO’s request”, Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University, told AFP.

Choi’s short-lived predecessor in the role of acting president and prime minister, Han Duck-soo, was impeached by lawmakers after he refused a key opposition demand to install three more judges at the Constitutional Court, viewed as impeding Yoon’s potential removal from office.

Wait for court

South Korea’s Constitutional Court has up to 180 days to determine whether to dismiss Yoon as president or restore his powers.

Until then, while suspended, Yoon holds the title of president.

Experts suggest the process for investigators to prosecute or formally arrest Yoon would be much easier were he to be stripped of the presidential title.

But the 180-day timeframe is considerable and could potentially delay proceedings significantly.

The Constitutional Court has said it will expedite the impeachment trial due to the seriousness of the case.

But Yoon’s lawyers argued Friday that the court must utilise the full 180 days to conduct the hearings, especially to examine “the circumstances that led to the declaration of martial law”.

Seoul:

The Jeju Air plane crash at South Korea’s Muan, in which 179 of the 181 people on board are feared dead, came at a time when the Asian country’s government is in the middle of a full-blown political crisis. South Korea’s current president, Yoon Suk Yeol, was impeached on December 14, following a short-lived martial law declaration that plunged the country into its worst political chaos in decades.

However, the leadership crisis in Seoul didn’t end there. Country’s Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who stepped into Yoon’s shoes as acting President of South Korea, was also stripped of his powers by parliament on Friday.

That means the country’s Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok assumed the position of acting president while the country’s top Constitutional Court decided the fate of Yoon and Han. Two days into the new job, acting President Choi now faces South Korea’s worst domestic civil aviation disaster.

New President In The Middle Of Chaos

Acting President Choi has instructed emergency responders to mobilize “all available” equipment and personnel to the plane crash site at the Muan International Airport, He also reached the site where the Jeju Air flight crash-landed earlier in the day and declared it a special disaster zone.

The President has vowed a full investigation into what caused the deadly crash. “We will concentrate all resources on recovery and support for the victims. All necessary resources are being mobilized, and a special disaster zone has been declared,” Choi said in a statement.

A Jeju Air plane carrying 181 people from Thailand to South Korea crashed on arrival Sunday, smashing into a barrier and bursting into flames, leaving all but two feared dead.

A bird strike and adverse weather conditions were cited by authorities as likely causes of the crash that flung passengers out of the plane and left it “almost completely destroyed”, according to fire officials.

Video showed the Jeju Air plane from Bangkok landing on its belly at Muan International Airport, skidding off the runway as smoke streamed out from the engines, before crashing into a wall and exploding in flames. Only two people were rescued, both flight attendants and 120 people were confirmed dead by mid-afternoon, the fire department said in a statement.

Uncertain Political Landscape In South Korea

The impeachment of Prime Minister Han, the acting president since Mr Yoon was impeached on December 14 for declaring martial law on December 3, has pushed South Korea’s once-vibrant democratic success story into uncharted territory. South Korea is Asia’s fourth-largest economy after China, Japan and India.

Yoon, who is currently suspended while the country’s top court decides his fate, faces impeachment and criminal charges of insurrection, which could result in life imprisonment or even the death penalty.

If his impeachment is upheld by the court, which is required to deliver its ruling within six months of the impeachment, a by-election must be held within 60 days of the court’s decision. The move will also make Mr Yoon the shortest-serving president in South Korea’s democratic history.

Seoul, South Korea:

South Korean lawmakers impeached the acting president on Friday as the country struggles to shake off political turmoil sparked by his predecessor’s declaration of marital law.

Here’s a look at how the second impeachment of a South Korean head of state happened in just two weeks, and what might happen next.

WHAT HAPPENED TODAY?

South Korean lawmakers impeached the acting president. All 192 MPs who voted in the session cast their ballots in favour of removing acting President Han Duck-soo.

Han took on the role on December 14, when President Yoon Suk Yeol was suspended from the post by a parliamentary vote following his short-lived attempt to enforce martial law.

A constitutional court will decide whether Yoon’s removal will be permanent.

Opposition lawmakers said they voted to oust Han because he was obstructing the court by refusing to appoint three new judges to the nine-member bench.

Six judges must uphold the decision to oust Yoon. Because the bench currently only has six members, a single vote could see him reinstated.

The opposition party’s impeachment motion said Han was “intentionally avoiding the special investigation to probe those involved in the insurrection”.

They said his actions were “in violation of a public official’s duty to uphold the law”.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Han said he “respects the parliament’s decision”. Like Yoon, he is now also waiting for the constitutional court to decide whether his removal will be permanent.

The court has 180 days to render its verdict.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok will now become the acting president.

Choi said in a statement that “minimising governmental turmoil is of utmost importance at this moment” and on Friday convened a meeting of the National Security Council.

The crisis that ousted Han may also cascade down to Choi. He will also be pressured by the opposition to accept the appointment of constitutional judges.

If he refuses he may also face his own impeachment — opening a new chapter of absurdity.

WHO IS CHOI SANG-MOK?

Choi now has three roles: acting President, Prime Minister and Finance Minister of South Korea.

“We’ve had an acting president before,” said Lee Jun-han, a politics professor at Incheon National University. “But this is the first time we’ve had a substitute for a substitute.”

Lee said that despite Choi’s many roles “it won’t be impossible” for him to do them all. Choi is a tested bureaucrat with decades of experience in the finance ministry.

At a recent press conference he pledged to steer the economy through political turmoil.

“We are confident that our robust and resilient economic system will ensure rapid stabilisation,” he said.

WHAT DO LAWMAKERS SAY?

Opposition lawmakers cheered when National Assembly speaker Woo Won-shik said only a simple majority was needed in the 300-member parliament to impeach Han.

The opposition won a majority in parliamentary elections in April, meaning he was easily removed.

The ruling People’s Power Party (PPP) lawmakers protested in parliament, arguing that a two-thirds majority should have been required to remove Han.

The PPP immediately filed an injunction against Woo, saying his “actions are fundamentally invalid” because they have violated the constitution.

WHAT ABOUT YOON?

The constitutional court held its first preliminary hearing on the validity of Yoon’s impeachment on Friday, with the suspended president’s legal team attending.

The court said in a statement the hearing would focus on his decision to declare martial law and mobilise military and police forces to blockade parliament.

With the court deliberating Yoon’s impeachment, a decision on Han’s impeachment will take more time, predicted Kim Hyun-jung, a researcher at the Korea University Institute of Law.

“The seriousness of the presidential impeachment, the significance of the office, and the current state of extreme political turmoil all underscore the urgency of addressing this matter swiftly,” said Kim.

“The court cannot do two things at once.”
 

Protesters are blocked by police officers as they try to march to the presidential office after a candlelight vigil against South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

South Korea’s President accepted the resignation of his Defence Minister on Thursday (December 5, 2024) as opposition parties moved to impeach both men over the stunning yet short-lived imposition of martial law that brought armed troops into Seoul streets.

The main opposition Democratic Party and other small opposition parties submitted a joint motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday over his martial law declaration the previous night. Martial law lasted about six hours, as the National Assembly quickly voted to overrule the President, forcing his Cabinet to lift it before daybreak Wednesday.

On Thursday, Mr. Yoon replaced Defence Minister Kim Yong Hyun with Choi Byung Hyuk, a retired four-star general who is South Korea’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Mr. Yoon’s office said.

It didn’t provide any further comments by Mr. Yoon. He hasn’t made any public appearances since he announced in a televised address that his government was lifting the martial law declaration.

The opposition parties earlier submitted a separate motion to impeach Mr. Kim, alleging he recommended Mr. Yoon impose martial law. On Wednesday, Mr. Kim offered to resign and apologised for causing disruption and concern to the public. Mr. Kim said “all troops who performed duties related to martial law were acting on my instructions, and all responsibility lies with me,” according to the Defence Ministry.

The impeachment motion on Mr. Yoon was introduced at a parliamentary plenary session early Thursday, meaning it can be put to a vote between Friday and Sunday. By law, the motion will be scrapped if it isn’t voted within 72 hours of its parliamentary introduction. Opposition parties can submit a new impeachment motion if the current one is scrapped or voted down, according to National Assembly officials.

Prospects for Mr. Yoon’s impeachment aren’t clear as Mr. Yoon’s ruling conservative People Power Party decided Thursday to oppose the motion’s passage. Choo Kyung-ho, the floor leader of the PPP, told reporters that his party would hold another meeting to determine how to oppose the motion’s passage. Observers say PPP members could simply boycott a floor vote or cast ballots against the motion.

Impeaching him would require support from two-thirds of the single-chamber National Assembly, or 200 of its 300 members. The opposition parties together have 192 seats and they need additional votes from the PPP. Some experts earlier said the motion will likely be passed through parliament as 18 PPP lawmakers, who belong to an anti-Yoon faction in the party, already voted down Mr. Yoon’s martial law decree together with opposition lawmakers.

But speaking to reporters Thursday, PPP leader Han Dong-hun, head of the anti-Yoon faction, said he would work to ensure that the impeachment motion doesn’t pass though he remains critical of Mr. Yoon’s action, which he described as “unconstitutional.” Han said that there is a need to “prevent damage to citizens and supporters caused by unprepared chaos.”

Experts say rival factions in PPP could unite not to repeat their traumatic experiences following the 2016 impeachment of scandal-ridden conservative President Park Geun-hye, which happened after some lawmakers at her own party voted to impeach her. Mr. Park was eventually removed from office and arrested in 2017, and the liberals easily won the presidency in a by-election as conservatives remained in disarray.

If Mr. Yoon is impeached, he will be deprived of his constitutional powers until the Constitutional Court rules. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, who holds the No. 2 position in the South Korean government, would take over presidential responsibilities.

The impeachment motion on Mr. Yoon accuses him of attempting a “self-coup” by mobilising the military. It also says Mr. Yoon’s declaration failed to meet the constitutional requirements that such steps should only be considered in severe crisis situations. The motion also argues that his move to declare a suspension of political party activities and deploy troops in an attempt to seal the National Assembly amounted to rebellion.

Mr. Yoon’s martial law declaration, the first of its kind in more than 40 years, harkened back to South Korea’s past military-backed governments when authorities occasionally proclaimed martial law and other decrees that allowed them to station soldiers, tanks and armoured vehicles on streets or at public places such as schools to prevent anti-government demonstrations. Until Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, such scenes of military intervention had not been seen since South Korea achieved a democracy in the late 1980s.

After Mr. Yoon’s declaration, troops carrying full battle gear, including assault rifles, tried to keep protesters away from the National Assembly as military helicopters flew overhead and landed nearby.

It wasn’t clear how the 190 lawmakers were able to enter a parliamentary hall to vote down Mr. Yoon’s martial law decree. Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung and National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik were seen climbing over walls. As troops and police officers blocked some from entering, they didn’t aggressively restrain or use force against others.