The South Korean governing party chief said Friday that he supports suspending President Yoon Suk-Yeol’s constitutional powers for imposing martial laws this week. This is a shocking reversal, which makes Yoon’s removal more likely.

The opposition parties want a vote in parliament on Yoon’s removal on Saturday. They call his declaration of martial law, which lasted only a few days, an “unconstitutional rebellion, or coup.” However, they will need the support of some members from the People Power Party, the party led by the president, to achieve the required two-thirds majority to pass the motion.

Yoon’s martial law declaration at night has caused turmoil in South Korean politics, which has worried neighbors including Japan, a fellow democracy, and Seoul’s main ally, the United States. One of Asia’s strongest democracies is facing a crisis that could topple its leader.

Han Donghun, the leader of the PPP, stressed at a party gathering the urgent need to suspend Yoon’s presidency duties and powers. He said that Yoon poses a significant risk of taking extreme measures, such as a re-imposition of martial law. This could put the Republic of Korea, and its citizens, in danger.

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Han claimed that he received information from Yoon that he ordered Yoon’s country’s counterintelligence commander, to arrest and detain key politicians on suspicion of “antistate activities” while martial law was still in effect.

Han stated that he believed it was necessary to suspend President Yoonsuk Yeol from his official duties immediately in order to protect the Republic of Korea, its people and its economy.

To impeach Yoon, 200 out of 300 National Assembly members would need to support the motion. The 192 seats that the opposition parties have combined to bring forward this impeachment motion. PPP has 108 legislators.

Yoon would be suspended if he were impeached until the Constitutional Court decided whether to remove him or restore his presidency. Han Duck-soo is the No. 2 official in the country. Han Duck-soo, the country’s No.

Defense Ministry says Yeo In-hyung has been suspended from his duties. Han claims that Yoon had given him orders to detain politicians. The ministry has also suspended Lee Jin woo, the commander of capital defense command and Kwak Jong Geun, the commander of special warfare command for their involvement in enforcing the martial law.

Hong Jang Won, the first deputy director of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS), told lawmakers in a briefing behind closed doors that Yoon had called him after declaring martial law, and instructed him to assist the Defense Counterintelligence Unit to detain important politicians. Kim Byung Kee, a member of parliament who attended the briefing, stated that the targeted politicians were Han, opposition leader Lee Jae Myung, and National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik. Kim Byung-kee said that Hong told Kim lawmakers that he disobeyed Yoon’s instructions.

Cho Taeyong questioned Hong’s story. Cho Taeyong, the director of the spy agency, questioned Hong’s account.

Han had earlier stated that he would fight to defeat Yoon’s impeachment even though he had criticized Yoon for declaring martial law as “unconstitutional”. Han also said it was important to “prevent harm to citizens and supporters due to unprepared chaos.”

Since Wednesday, thousands of protesters marched through the streets of Seoul calling for Yoon’s resignation and investigation. Since Thursday, thousands of autoworkers, as well as other members of Korea Metal Workers’ Union (one of the largest umbrella labor groups in the country), have been on hourly strike to protest Yoon. The union has said that its members would begin indefinite strike action on December 11 if Yoon is still in office.

Kim Seon Ho, South Korean Vice Minister of Defense, promised “active cooperation” by the ministry with a prosecutors’ investigation into the role played by the military in Yoon’s enforcement of martial law. He confirmed that military prosecutors would also be involved in this investigation. He denied media speculations that Yoon, his military advisers and other officials might be considering imposing martial law again.

Kim stated that the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Ministry of Defense would not accept any demand for martial law.

Kim became acting defense minister on Thursday after Yoon’s Office accepted the resignation by Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun. Kim is also banned from travelling while he undergoes an investigation over the imposition martial law.

Han and opposition parties claim that Kim Yong Hyun recommended Yoon to take this step. Kim Seon Ho stated that Kim Yong Hyun ordered the deployment of troops to the National Assembly following Yoon’s martial law.

Han is a member of a minor faction in the ruling party. 18 members of his faction voted along with opposition legislators to overturn Yoon’s martial law order. The martial law lasted for about six hours after the National Assembly overruled Yoon’s Cabinet.

In a Friday televised address, Lee Jae Myung, the leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, said that it was important to suspend Yoon “as quickly as possible.”

Lee said Yoon’s martial law enforcement was “rebellion, and also a self coup.” He pointed to criticisms from the Biden Administration and foreign leaders who cancelled their visits to South Korea.

Han’s remarks have not been met with a response from Yoon. He hasn’t appeared in public since he announced on a television broadcast that the martial law had been lifted.

Shim Woo Jung, the prosecutor general, told reporters that the prosecution would investigate charges of rebellion against Yoon in response to complaints made by the opposition. The president is generally immune from prosecution during his tenure in office. However, this immunity does not apply to accusations of rebellion or high treason. It was not immediately clear how prosecution planned to investigate Yoon.

The Democratic Party may also file a complaint against PPP leader Choo KYUNG-HO, who they accuse of trying to facilitate Yoon’s martial law enforcement.

Choo, who is a Yoon-loyalist, asked that lawmakers convene at party headquarters and not the National Assembly when martial law was declared. This meant that fewer legislators were present at the parliament vote to lift martial law.