South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol faced pressure from lawmakers and the public on Wednesday to resign or be impeached after he lifted a martial law that led to troops surrounding parliament he had called for just hours earlier .

Yoon’s senior advisers and secretaries offered their joint resignations. The president’s Cabinet members, including Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun, also faced calls to resign. All members of South Korea’s State Council have reportedly expressed their intention to resign.

On Tuesday evening, Yoon abruptly declared martial law and vowed to eliminate “anti-state” forces after struggling to push his agenda through the opposition-dominated parliament. However, martial law was only in effect for about six hours as the National Assembly voted to overturn the president’s decision.

Martial law was officially lifted during a cabinet meeting around 4:30 a.m

SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENT lifts martial law after lawmakers reject move

People watch a television screen broadcasting South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s press conference at a bus station in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Lawmakers have filed a motion to impeach the president over his declaration of martial law.

The liberal opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in parliament, threatened earlier in the day that its MPs would initiate impeachment proceedings against the president if he did not resign immediately.

“President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law was a clear violation of the Constitution. She did not comply with the requirements for a declaration,” the Democratic Party said in a statement. “His declaration of martial law was originally invalid and constituted a serious violation of the Constitution. It was a serious act of rebellion and provides the perfect grounds for his removal from office.”

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South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a recorded interview with KBS Television at the presidential office in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024. (South Korea Presidential Office via AP, File)

Impeaching the president would require the approval of two-thirds of the 300 members of Parliament. The Democratic Party and other small opposition parties together have 192 seats. But 18 lawmakers from Yoon’s ruling People Power Party voted against the president’s decision as Parliament rejected Yoon’s declaration of martial law by a vote of 190-0.

People Power Party Chairman Han Dong-hun criticized Yoon’s declaration of martial law as “unconstitutional.”

If Yoon is charged, he will no longer have his constitutional powers until the Constitutional Court can decide his fate. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, the South Korean government’s deputy, would assume his duties as president.

South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol waves as he addresses a joint session of Congress in Washington, Thursday, April 27, 2023. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

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While calling for Yoon’s cabinet to resign, Han released a public message asking for patience and calling on cabinet members to “perform their duties even after this moment.”

Yoon’s declaration of martial law was the first of its kind in more than 40 years. Since South Korea achieved true democracy in the late 1980s, there have been no military interventions.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.