South Korea’s opposition has begun efforts to impeach the president.

SEOUL: South Korean lawmakers accused President Yoon Seok-yul on Wednesday of declaring martial law to prevent criminal investigations against him and his family, while they launched a motion to impeach him. Pressure started.

Yoon’s declaration of martial law, South Korea’s first in four decades, was swiftly reversed by lawmakers on a night of drama, but plunged the country into political turmoil and alarmed its closest allies.

Yun, a conservative politician and former star public prosecutor who is running for president in 2022, now looks extremely uncertain.

South Korean opposition lawmakers have filed a motion to impeach Yoon after jumping fences and entering parliament after clashes with security forces and voting to end martial law overnight.

The motion said Yoon had “grossly and grossly violated the Constitution and the law” and accused him of “unconstitutionally and unlawfully intending to investigate the alleged illegal activities of himself and his family.” Martial law is being imposed to avoid

Lawmakers could vote on the motion as early as Friday morning, and Yun’s prospects look bleak.

The opposition has a large majority in the 300-member parliament and needs only a handful of defections from the president’s party to secure the two-thirds majority needed to pass the motion.

The main opposition Democratic Party has also filed a “rebellion” complaint against the president, some of his ministers and top military and police officials — which could carry a life sentence or the death penalty.

In a show of public anger with the president, thousands of protesters gathered around his office in central Seoul on Wednesday evening after holding a rally in Gwanghwamun Square, calling for Yoon’s resignation.

But party lawmakers then decided to oppose Yoon’s impeachment motion, Yonhap news agency reported early Thursday.

In his televised announcement of martial law late on Tuesday, Yun cited the threat of North Korea and “anti-state forces”.

More than 280 soldiers, some of whom arrived by helicopter, rushed to parliament to seal off the site.

But 190 lawmakers forced rifle-toting soldiers into parliament to vote against the measure.

The constitution says martial law must be lifted when a parliamentary majority demands it, leaving Yun with no choice but to withdraw his decision and withdraw the army six hours later in another televised address.