Despite offering a public apology earlier this week, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is facing an impending impeachment vote as lawmakers in the National Assembly prepare to decide his fate. 

The president’s brief two-minute speech, in which he expressed regret for causing “anxiety and discomfort” following his controversial declaration of martial law, has failed to quell widespread public anger.

The current push for impeachment stems from Mr. Yoon’s extraordinary decision to declare martial law on Tuesday night, citing vague threats to national security.

Impeachment in South Korea is a rare and significant event, requiring a majority vote in the National Assembly. 

The opposition, which controls 169 of the 300 seats, only needs eight members of Mr. Yoon’s governing People Power Party to side with them for the motion to pass. 

If successful, the president will be suspended from office, and the Constitutional Court will have up to 180 days to rule on whether to uphold the decision. In the meantime, the prime minister would serve as acting president.  

Protesters and opposition leaders accused the president of undermining democratic principles and using excessive measures to consolidate power.  

According to the New York Times, outside Parliament, tens of thousands of demonstrators have gathered, demanding Mr. Yoon’s resignation. 

Chants calling for accountability echo through the streets as South Koreans grapple with the implications of martial law in a country that has worked hard to distance itself from its authoritarian past.  

While Mr. Yoon’s party has officially called for its 108 lawmakers to oppose the motion, the secret ballot leaves the outcome uncertain. 

Should impeachment proceed, it would mark only the second time in South Korea’s history that a sitting president has faced such action. 

The first occurred in 2016 when President Park Geun-hye was impeached and later removed from office over a corruption scandal.