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President and acting president were impeached; Finance minister will assume acting presidency.
Yoon declared emergency martial law on Dec 3, only to repeal it the very next day after the parliament voted against its implementation.
BEIJING -- China hopes the Republic of Korea (ROK) will take effective measures to protect the safety and security of Chinese nationals and institutions in the ROK, foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said here on Wednesday.
Lin made the remarks when answering a query concerning the short-lived imposition of martial law in the ROK.
China noted relevant events and will not comment on the ROK's domestic affairs, said Lin, adding that China has asked its nationals in the ROK to take extra safety precautions.
China's position on the Korean Peninsula issue remains unchanged, Lin noted.
SEOUL -- South Korea's Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun made an apology to citizens and said he has submitted resignation to President Yoon Suk-yeol, Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday.
The resignation came shortly after the main opposition Democratic Party proposed an impeachment motion against the defense chief over emergency martial law turmoil.
In the meantime, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and leaders of the ruling People Power Party have gathered at the presidential office, likely for a meeting with the South Korean president following the opposition parties' impeachment bill, Yonhap said in an earlier dispatch citing sources.
South Korea's opposition parties submitted a motion to impeach President Yoon over the extended political turmoil caused by a presidential declaration of a short-lived emergency martial law issued Tuesday night. Yoon lifted it early Wednesday after the National Assembly voted against the law.
Earlier on Wednesday, South Korea's cabinet ministers expressed their intentions to resign en masse, the local Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported.
Prime Minister Han has expressed his willingness to "serve the public until the final moment", Yonhap said.
SEOUL - The main opposition Democratic Party of South Korea has proposed an impeachment motion against the country's defense minister over emergency martial law turmoil, Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday.
TOKYO - Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Wednesday that Japan was carefully watching the situation in South Korea with "particular and grave" concerns, according to Kyodo News.
"We have been monitoring (developments) since the overnight declaration of martial law with particular and grave concerns," Ishiba told reporters, adding that he is not in a position to comment on South Korea's domestic affairs.
"We don't know the exact details of what happened, but declaring martial law is a serious matter," Kyodo News cited a source from Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs as saying.
The situation in South Korea might be chaotic, and Japan will monitor how the situation unfolds, the source added.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol declared an emergency martial law Tuesday night and lifted it early Wednesday following the National Assembly's vote against it.
In accordance with the constitution, the president should lift martial law when the 300-member parliament demands the lifting with a majority of lawmakers voting in favor.
SEOUL -- South Korea's cabinet ministers have expressed their intentions to resign en masse to the prime minister, the local Chosun Ilbo newspaper reported on Wednesday.
The latest development came as the South Korean government scrambled to make multiple moves in response to the country's political crisis.
South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has expressed his willingness to "serve the public until the final moment", according to the Yonhap news agency.
Han was scheduled to meet with the ruling People Power Party leadership and senior aides to President Yoon Suk-yeol Wednesday afternoon, Chosun Ilbo reported.
In the meantime, the authorities announced plans to rein in repercussions in financial markets.
The central bank announced on Wednesday that it will provide "ample liquidity" to stabilize the stock market, after the Korea Composite Stock Price Index slid almost 2 percent late in the morning trading session on the day.
SEOUL -- South Korea's opposition parties on Wednesday submitted a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol who declared an emergency martial law Tuesday night and lifted it early Wednesday after the National Assembly voted against the martial law.
A total of 191 lawmakers from the main liberal opposition Democratic Party and five other minor opposition parties proposed the motion to oust Yoon from office.
The opposition parties planned to report the motion to the plenary session on Thursday and vote on it between Friday and Saturday, according to multiple media outlets.
By law, the 300-member unicameral parliament is required to cast a secret vote on the impeachment motion within 72 hours after the motion is suggested to the plenary session.
The constitution stipulates that the impeachment motion must be initiated by a majority of lawmakers and approved by at least two-thirds of National Assembly legislators.
If the motion is passed through the parliament with the vote in favor of the impeachment from over 200 lawmakers, the constitutional court will deliberate it for up to 180 days, during which Yoon will be suspended.
WASHINGTON - The United States felt "relieved" that the declaration of an emergency martial law was lifted in South Korea, a spokesperson for the US National Security Council (NSC) said Tuesday.
"We are relieved President Yoon (Suk-yeol of South Korea) has reversed course on his concerning declaration of martial law and respected the ROK National Assembly's vote to end it," the spokesperson said in a statement.
Following the lifting of the martial law order, the US embassy in Seoul said in an alert that despite the reversal, "the situation remains fluid." It advised US nationals in the country to "avoid areas where demonstrations are taking place".
The embassy said it would cancel routine consular appointments for US citizens and visa applicants on Wednesday.
Yoon declared the emergency martial law in a televised emergency address on Tuesday night to eradicate anti-state forces and uphold free constitutional order.
This is the first martial law declaration since the country's military dictatorship ended in the late 1980s.
However, the emergency martial law was lifted early Wednesday at an urgently convened cabinet meeting after the South Korean parliament voted against it.
SEOUL -- South Korea's senior presidential staff, including the chief of staff and all the senior secretaries, offered to resign after President Yoon Suk-yeol declared and lifted an emergency martial law, multiple media outlets said Wednesday, citing the presidential office.
Yoon declared the emergency martial law Tuesday night, marking the first martial law declaration since the country's military dictatorship ended in the late 1980s.
He noted that it was an inevitable step to ensure people's freedom, safety and national sustainability from the anti-state forces seeking to overthrow the country, vowing to eliminate the anti-state forces and normalize the country as soon as possible.
Yoon criticized the parliament for paralyzing state affairs by attempting to impeach government officials, launch a special prosecutor's team for investigation into scandals involving the first lady and protect the opposition leader from legal risks.
Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who reportedly proposed the martial law declaration to Yoon, ordered a meeting of key commanders, urging the military to strengthen vigilance.
However, after the announcement, the main opposition party, the Democratic Party of Korea, called for lawmakers to head toward the National Assembly to discuss countermeasures. Seoul's citizens also rallied in front of the parliament building against the martial law order.
Despite the lockdown of the parliament building by martial law troops and police, the lawmakers managed to convene a meeting in the National Assembly and passed a resolution to lift the martial law with 18 lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party and 172 lawmakers of opposition parties in attendance and voting in favor.
In accordance with the constitution, the president should lift martial law when the 300-member parliament demands the lifting with a majority of lawmakers voting in favor.
National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik said the president should immediately lift the martial law order according to the parliament's resolution approval, noting that the martial law declaration became invalid.
Han Dong-hoon, leader of the People Power Party, expressed his great regret over the martial law declaration as a ruling party chair, saying the unconstitutional, illegal declaration lost its effect after the parliamentary decision.
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the main opposition Democratic Party, said the declaration was illegal and unconstitutional as it failed to meet the requirements under the constitution and the martial law, urging the police and the military to return to their normal job as following the illegal, unconstitutional order of the president itself is illegal.
Early Wednesday, a motion to remove the martial law order was approved at an urgently convened cabinet meeting, according to multiple media outlets.
Before the cabinet meeting, Yoon said in a televised address that martial law troops were withdrawn as the National Assembly demanded the lifting of martial law, vowing to lift the martial law at a cabinet meeting to accept the parliamentary demand.
He asked the National Assembly to stop paralyzing state affairs by trying to impeach government officials, slash the government's budget for next year and launch a special prosecutor's team for investigation into scandals involving the first lady.
Woo confirmed that all martial law troops had left the parliamentary building.
SEOUL - South Korea's emergency martial law, declared by President Yoon Suk-yeol Tuesday night, was lifted early Wednesday at a cabinet meeting after the parliament voted against it.
The motion to remove the martial law order was approved at an urgently convened cabinet meeting, according to multiple media outlets.
Before the meeting, Yoon said in a televised address that martial law troops were withdrawn as the National Assembly demanded the lifting of martial law, vowing to lift the martial law at a cabinet meeting to accept the parliamentary demand.
The president asked the National Assembly to stop paralyzing state affairs by trying to impeach government officials, slash the government's budget for next year and launch a special prosecutor's team for investigation into scandals involving the first lady.
Yoon declared the emergency martial law Tuesday night, marking the first martial law declaration since the country's military dictatorship ended in the late 1980s.
The National Assembly held a plenary session, passing a resolution to lift the martial law with 18 lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party and 172 lawmakers of opposition parties in attendance and voting in favor.
In accordance with the constitution, the president should lift a martial law when the 300-member parliament demands the lifting with a majority of lawmakers voting in favor.
SEOUL -- South Korea's parliament on Wednesday passed a bill to lift an emergency martial law declared by President Yoon Suk-yeol on Tuesday night, TV footage showed.
SEOUL -- South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on Tuesday declared an emergency martial law.
Yoon said in a televised emergency address that "I declare an emergency martial law" to eradicate anti-state forces and uphold free constitutional order.
He noted that it was an inevitable step to ensure people's freedom, safety and national sustainability from the anti-state forces seeking to overthrow the country, vowing to eliminate the anti-state forces and normalize the country as soon as possible.
The president said the martial law declaration may cause inconvenience to people who followed the constitutional values, adding that he will make efforts to minimize the inconvenience.
Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who reportedly proposed the martial law declaration to Yoon, ordered a meeting of key commanders, urging the military to strengthen vigilance.
The martial law command issued its first decree to ban all political activities relevant to the parliament, local councils and political parties as well as political gatherings and rallies.
It prohibited fake news, public opinion manipulation and false incitement, saying that all media and publishers will be controlled by the martial law command.
Any strike, go-slow and assembly that promote social unrest were prohibited, while all medical personnel who had been on strike or left the medical field, such as resident doctors, were ordered to return to their jobs within 48 hours.
Violators of the decree will be arrested, detained and seized without a warrant and be punished under martial law, the command noted.
