Seoul: The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) has submitted a motion to impeach Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun following a controversial attempt by President Yoon Suk Yeol to impose martial law, which was swiftly blocked by lawmakers.According to Yonhap News Agency, the DP filed the impeachment motion at the National Assembly's bills office at 5:45 p.m. on Wednesday. The opposition party intends to present the motion during a parliamentary plenary session on Thursday, alongside an earlier impeachment motion against President Yoon. A vote on the motions is expected to take place on Friday or Saturday. By law, such motions must be voted on within 24 to 72 hours after being reported to a plenary session.The DP has also announced plans to report President Yoon, Defense Minister Kim, and Interior Minister Lee Sang-min to the prosecution on treason charges, and push for their impeachments following the martial law turmoil. In response to the impeachment motion, the defense ministry revealed that Kim has offe red his resignation, expressing his intent to take "full responsibility" for the situation and issuing an apology to the public.The political tension escalated after President Yoon's unexpected late-night declaration of martial law on Tuesday, which he later rescinded after the Assembly, controlled by the opposition, voted against it. Reports suggest that Defense Minister Kim had initially proposed the imposition of martial law to the president.In light of these developments, the parliamentary defense committee is scheduled to conduct an emergency session on Thursday to question defense officials involved in the incident, including Defense Minister Kim and Martial Law Commander Park An-su. The parliamentary interior committee is planning a similar meeting for the same day.
- September 13, 2026
