Seoul, South Korea — South Korea’s embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol apologized but did not resign on Saturday over his declaration of martial law ahead of an impeachment vote that could decide his political fate.
Yoon on Tuesday night imposed martial law for the first time in over four decades and deployed troops and helicopters to parliament.
But MPs voted down the decree, forcing Yoon to rescind the order on Wednesday morning.
“The declaration of martial law arose from my desperation as president,” Yoon said in a televised address. “I caused anxiety and inconvenience to the public. I sincerely apologize.”
Yoon said he would “entrust the party with measures to stabilize the political situation, including my term in office”.
The opposition and some members of his party have called for him to step down and parliament is set to vote on Saturday on his impeachment.
Protesters gathered outside the parliament ahead of the vote with organisers hoping 200,000 people would attend.
Yoon’s People Power Party (PPP) is divided on the issue, with its leader Han Dong-hoon saying Yoon must resign to avoid more political chaos.
“The normal performance of the president’s duties is impossible under the circumstances, and an early resignation of the president is inevitable,” Han told reporters on Saturday.
The opposition bloc holds 192 seats in the 300-member parliament, while the PPP has 108.
Just eight ruling party MPs need to defect for the vote to get the two-thirds majority it needs to pass, after which Yoon would be suspended from duties pending a ruling by the Constitutional Court.
Police have also begun investigating Yoon and others for alleged insurrection.
An opinion poll on Friday put backing for the 63-year-old president at a record low of 13 percent.
In his address declaring martial law, Yoon claimed it would “eliminate anti-state elements plundering people’s freedom and happiness”.
Security forces sealed the National Assembly, helicopters landed on the roof and almost 300 soldiers tried to lock down the building.
But parliamentary staff blocked the soldiers with sofas and fire extinguishers and enough MPs reached the chamber, with many climbing walls, and voted down Yoon’s move.
The special forces chief said there was an order to “drag out” MPs from parliament.
Observers said special forces troops may have “slow-walked” orders, after discovering it was a political rather than national security incident.
The episode brought back memories of South Korea’s autocratic past and surprised its allies, with the US administration only finding out via television.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his Korean counterpart Cho Tae-yul on Friday that he “expects the… democratic process to prevail”.
