A group of high-profile South Korean cabinet ministers offered to resign on Wednesday, piling pressure on president Yoon Suk Yeol to leave office after his failed attempt to impose martial law.
Prime minister Han Duck-soo convened a meeting to discuss a collective resignation as the country reeled from its worst constitutional crisis in years, and politicians from across the political spectrum sought to push Mr Yoon from power.
Among those offering to quit were justice minister Park Sung-jae and defence minister Kim Yong-hyun, according to the state-run Yonhap News agency.
Mr Kim, who has been accused by members of his own party of being behind the president’s gambit to impose emergency rule, said he took “full responsibility for the situation related to martial law, and have tendered my resignation to the president”.
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It was not immediately clear if the meeting had resulted in a joint resignation offer by all cabinet members.
[ Yoon's decision to impose martial law will have far-reaching consequencesOpens in new window ]
The presidency of Mr Yoon, who has long suffered rock-bottom approval ratings, had already become more precarious on Wednesday when 190 politicians from six opposition parties submitted a motion to impeach him. They said they intended to discuss the bill in parliament on Thursday before a vote on Friday or Saturday.
As pressure built on members of Mr Yoon’s own party to support the impeachment bid, thousands of protesters against the president gathered in central Seoul.
“[Yoon] is someone who can press the button to start war or declare martial law again. He is the one who can put South Korea in biggest jeopardy now,” said Cho Kuk, leader of one of the opposition parties.
He urged the country’s legal authorities to arrest Mr Yoon immediately for investigation over treason. “We should immediately suspend his presidential duties by impeaching him,” he said.
Leaders in Mr Yoon’s own conservative People Power party are discussing if Mr Yoon should leave its ranks, according to Yonhap. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions has also called for an indefinite strike until the president steps down.
The move to try to oust Mr Yoon heralds further political turmoil in the country of 52 million, Asia’s fourth largest economy and a key US ally. It came after the conservative president declared martial law in an unscheduled national broadcast late on Tuesday, saying he needed to purge South Korea of “anti-state forces” and “normalise the country”.
Mr Yoon backed down hours later, lifting the order after it was unanimously rejected by the opposition-controlled legislature. Troops sent to surround the parliament building were withdrawn.
South Korea’s main opposition, the Democratic Party, labelled the declaration of martial law “a clear act of treason” and “a perfect reason” to impeach the president.
“[Yoon] is likely to make another attempt as his first attempt at a martial decree failed,” Lee Jae-myung, the party leader, told a rally in the parliamentary compound. “But we face a bigger risk where he can provoke North Korea and run the risk of an armed clash with North Korea by destabilising the divided border.”
Mr Yoon’s bid to impose martial law – the first in the country since democracy was restored in the 1980s – came after months of tension with his rivals in parliament.
Following the night of upheaval South Korea’s financial authorities vowed to prop up markets with “unlimited” liquidity. The Bank of Korea said after an emergency meeting on Wednesday that it was “keeping all options open until the markets stabilise”.
The won, which weakened sharply against the dollar following Mr Yoon’s declaration of martial law, recovered.
Any attempt to impeach Mr Yoon would require a two-thirds vote in favour by the 300-member National Assembly. Opposition parties have a total of 192 seats, so a bill could pass with the support of more than eight members of Mr Yoon’s own party.
In the event of a vote for impeachment Mr Yoon would be suspended immediately from his presidential duties until a final ruling by South Korea’s constitutional court.
A new election must be held within 60 days of a president being removed from office or resigning. The prime minister would take over in an acting capacity.
If lawmakers do not vote for impeachment there may be more demonstrations, said Choi Jin-bong, a professor of journalism and broadcasting at Sungkonghoe University. “Public protests will likely swell, forcing them to vote for impeachment again.”
– Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2024