South Korea's opposition parties submit a motion to impeach President Yoon over sudden martial law

There are opinions that it was too much to go to emergency martial law, and that we did not follow the procedures for emergency martial law, but it was done strictly within the constitutional framework,

a South Korean presidential official told Reuters by phone

We couldn't ignore the illegal martial law,

DP lawmaker Kim Yong-min told reporters

Insurrection Yoon Suk Yeol step down!"

They chanted and held various placards, with one reading

President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration was a clear violation of the constitution. It didn't abide by any requirements to declare it,

the Democratic Party said in a statement

Even with our unfortunate memories of military coups, our citizens have surely observed the events of today and saw the maturity of our military."

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik said

Right now, the most urgent task is a thorough investigation. Through this, we must clearly hold accountable those who participated in destroying democracy,

Oh said in a televised statement

But then again, I don't understand too much about the political status in Korea,

he said

To safeguard a liberal South Korea from the threats posed by North Korea's communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements ... I hereby declare emergency martial law."

During a televised address announcing his imposition of martial law for the first time since the 1980s, Yoon said

It's a mainly domestic situation. He believed he cannot run the government as usual."

Speaking anonymously, an official in Yoon's office said

Through this martial law, I will rebuild and protect the free Republic of Korea, which is falling into the depths of national ruin."

The president also said

Yoon's declaration of martial law appeared to be both legal overreach and a political miscalculation, unnecessarily risking South Korea's economy and security,

said Leif-Eric Easley, professor of international studies at Ewha Womans University in Seoul

When he was elected, Yoon had 26 years of experience as a prosecutor but absolutely no political background and no idea of how to run a country,

said Kim

There has been a lot of criticism in the media and the public of the actions of the Democratic Party and it seems that Yoon misunderstood that as greater support for him than he actually had,

said Kim Sang-woo, a former politician with the left-leaning South Korean Congress for New Politics and now a member of the board of the Kim Dae-jung Peace Foundation

The opposition has been abusing its legislative position to force through bills that Yoon believes are contrary to the national interest, to demand legal investigations into his wife and a series of impeachment motions against senior members of his government,

he told DW

With extremely low public support and without strong backing within his own party and administration, the president should have known how difficult it would be to implement his late-night decree,

he told DW

People voted for him because he was not an established politician, he said he had no loyalties to political predecessors and that he was independent,

he added

Han Dong-hoonjustice Minister

The president must directly and thoroughly explain this tragic situation,

Han Dong-hoon told reporters in a televised broadcast

It seems that this is a fairly frivolous exercise in declaring martial law,

he said

This was a reckless violation of democratic norms and the rule of law.”

It warned

I’m not too concerned, but I hear they’re calling for the president to resign. If martial law had stayed, I’d have been worried.”

Stephen Rowan, a visitor from Brisbane, said