After the vote, soldiers began withdrawing, Others began pushing back the crowd of protesters who gathered there, which numbered around 2,000. Protesters also began calling for Yoon's arrest and impeachment. Lee Jae Myung said the declaration of martial law was done without cabinet approval, and that members of the security forces who continued to follow Yoon's martial law orders were committing "an illegal act". The
Defense Ministry stated that martial law would remain in effect until ended by the president. Yoon would later hold a meeting inside the Joint Chiefs of Staff's command and control room with Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, Martial Law Commander Park An-su, 2nd Deputy Director of the National Security Office In Sung-hwan, Defense Secretary Choi Byung-ok, and Military Advisor to the Ministry of National Defense Kim Chul-jin. Yoon would ask Kim Yong-hyun the amount of troops he deployed to the National Assembly, to which he would respond with "about 500." Yoon, irritated with Kim's response, would say; "I told you it's not enough. You should have sent 1,000. What are we going to do now?" While searching for another method, Yoon looked for a copy of South Korea's National Assembly Act. Yoon ultimately decided to lift the martial law following this meeting, despite there being no discussion about lifting martial law at that meeting. After martial law was lifted, the president's office told foreign media 38 hours after refusing all interviews with South Korean media that "emergency martial law was strictly enforced within the framework of the constitution and took place late at night to minimize damage to the national economy and citizens' daily lives". DPK leader Park Chan-dae then told
CNN that Yoon "cannot avoid the charge of
treason" and that he "must step down immediately". To prevent future disruptions, on 3 July 2025, the National Assembly voted to amend the country's guidelines on martial law by barring security forces from obstructing the work of MPs and entering the
National Assembly Building without approval from the
Speaker.
Lifting of martial law During a televised briefing at 04:27, Yoon announced that he would lift martial law as soon as a quorum could be obtained for a cabinet meeting, and that he had withdrawn military personnel from the National Assembly. At approximately 04:30, the cabinet approved the motion to lift martial law. The Martial Law Command was also disbanded. The military said it had not observed unusual activity in North Korea while martial law was in place. Following the lifting of martial law, the DPK held an emergency meeting at the Assembly, announcing that they would commence impeachment proceedings if Yoon did not step down. In a resolution, it said "Yoon's declaration of martial law is a clear violation of the Constitution", adding that it was "a serious act of rebellion and a perfect reason for impeachment". Protests continued to be held in the Assembly and in
Gwanghwamun Square, as well as outside the
Presidential Residence. Candlelight rallies and related activities were held in cities across South Korea. Smaller rallies were also held in support of Yoon.
Protests against Yoon Suk Yeol , Austria, 13 December Inspector General of the
Ministry of Justice Ryu Hyuk resigned in protest shortly after attending a meeting convened on martial law by Justice Minister
Park Sung-jae. Shortly after Yoon backed down and lifted martial law, the opposition began to
consider his impeachment. Some South Korean analysts described the episode as a self-coup attempt to seize power. That same day, the
Supreme Court announced it would investigate whether the declaration was illegal, given that he had failed to abide by mandatory provisions such as notifying both the cabinet and the legislature beforehand. On 6 December, the
Constitutional Court also opened an investigation into the legality of Yoon's martial law declaration. The leadership of the PPP discussed expelling Yoon from the party during a meeting. Han Dong-hoon urged Yoon to immediately fire Defense Minister Kim for proposing the idea and later said he asked Yoon to leave the PPP through the prime minister and presidential officials. The DPK also confirmed they would initiate impeachment proceedings against Yoon, along with Kim and Interior Minister
Lee Sang-min on 5 December if Yoon did not resign. Kim later apologized and took responsibility for the soldiers' actions. He also offered his resignation, which was accepted by Yoon. In a separate interview, Kim said that the deployment of soldiers to the National Election Commission was aimed at assessing the "necessity of an investigation into alleged election fraud". In response, the commission denounced the incursion as a violation of the Constitution and pledged to take legal action. At noon on 4 December, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo held a meeting with Yoon's remaining cabinet members, and party leaders to discuss the fallout of the martial law declaration. He subsequently apologized and took full responsibility for what had happened. Later on 4 December, all of the major newspapers in South Korea and the National Union of Media Workers unanimously condemned Yoon and called for his arrest, saying the martial law was illegal and an attempted repeat of the brutal coups of the 1980s. At the same time, multiple South Korean celebrities also heavily condemned Yoon. The
Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, the
Korean Methodist Church, the
National Council of Churches in Korea, and the
Korean Church Human Rights Center criticized the declaration of martial law, while the national association of
Won Buddhist clerics called for Yoon's impeachment. A joint declaration was signed by 370 professors and researchers at
Korea University calling for Yoon's impeachment. The emergency medical professors of
Seoul National University and
Seoul National University Hospital also criticized martial law and its attempt to halt the
ongoing doctors' strike and supported Yoon's impeachment. In particular, the term "cheodan" () in Article 5 of the decree on martial law has sparked strong reactions from both medical professionals and the general public in Korea. Although it was translated as "punishment" in this document, its real-world usage aligns more closely with "execution", fueling significant controversy. The chair of the Chungam High School Foundation called Yoon and Kim Yong-hyun "shameful graduates". The school also suspended its uniform policy for students amid concerns over harassment, adding that some of its school bus drivers had been harassed by passersby and that it had received hundreds of protest calls. Its student council also issued a statement supporting Yoon's impeachment. Five MPs of the PPP from Han Dong-hoon's faction expressed support for amending the constitution to shorten Yoon's term from 2027 to 2026. Some PPP legislators also called for amendments shifting power from the president to the prime minister and allowing for power-sharing between parties under a coalition government. On 5 December, Kim Min-seok, who had previously warned of a possible declaration of martial law in August, said that he was "100 percent certain" that Yoon would try and declare martial law again, attributing Yoon's motivations as to protect himself and his wife from ongoing investigations. He also attributed the failure of 3 December declaration to popular resistance and the incompetence of Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun. The Center for Military Human Rights Korea also warned of such a possibility, citing the Army restricting leave for some officers and implementing stringent regulations effective until 8 December, which coincided with the period that proposals to impeach Yoon are being discussed in the National Assembly. On 6 December, the Defense Ministry and the Joint Chiefs of Staff denied the allegations and said that they would not comply with a second declaration of martial law, while the DPK said all 170 of its lawmakers will remain on emergency standby within the National Assembly premises to vote down future declarations of martial law. The National Assembly Secretariat barred officials from the Defense Ministry, police and the NIS from entering its buildings "for the time being". On the afternoon of 6 December, rumors that Yoon would visit the Assembly for a meeting with the PPP prompted opposition lawmakers and staff to gather at the building's main rotunda to block his entry, while additional entry restrictions were imposed on other visitors and the complex's day care center was advised to send children home early. The Presidential Office later said that Yoon had no plans to visit the legislature. On 3 January 2025, the city government of
Gwangju raised the
state flag of Virginia, which contains the inscription
Sic semper tyrannis, in front of the city hall, with mayor
Kang Ki-jung denouncing Yoon for abuse of power. The mayor claimed to have received it from
the state's governor alongside a letter of appreciation.
Impeachment, arrest, and indictment In the
Judiciary of South Korea, matters of constitutional importance, such as impeachment trials, fall under the jurisdiction of the
Constitutional Court. The
National Assembly takes role of plaintiff in an impeachment trial. However, other ordinary matters, such as criminal trial, fall under the jurisdiction of ordinary courts, represented by the
Supreme Court. In criminal processes, the
Prosecution service takes the role of prosecutor, while the
Police and the
CIO take charge in original investigations of the crime.
Impeachment by National Assembly On 4 December 190 legislators across six opposition parties submitted a motion for impeachment, intending to discuss the bill the following day; the DPK later planned a vote on 7 December. At a meeting with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and PPP party leader Han Dong-hoon, Yoon stated that he would not resign and said there was "no wrongdoing" in his declaration, adding that he had done so as a "warning" to the opposition and to prevent the DPK's "reckless impeachment actions". Yoon also defended plans to arrest Han Dong-hoon for going to the National Assembly. On 5 December, the PPP announced they would oppose impeachment, following an emergency meeting the previous evening. However, at an emergency meeting on 6 December, Han Dong-hoon said it was necessary to "promptly suspend [Yoon] from his duties to protect the Republic of Korea", citing that Yoon ordered the arrest and detention of key politicians during martial law, including Han himself. That same day,
Cho Kyoung-tae voiced his support for Yoon's impeachment, becoming the first MP from the PPP to do so. On 6 December, Special Forces Commander Kwak Jong-guen said he had ordered soldiers present at the Assembly on 3 December not to enter the session hall and ruled out the provision of live ammunition and harm against civilians. He also said that he would not follow such orders in the event of martial law being declared again. They, along with Park An-su, were also subjected to a ban on overseas travel.
Hong Jang-won, the deputy director of the NIS, also said that he was ordered by Yoon to arrest politicians during martial law during a series of phone calls. However this was denied by Director Cho Tae-yong, who said the NIS had no such powers. The
National Archives of Korea issued notices to the Presidential Office, the Defense Ministry and other relevant agencies for the preservation of documents, video footage and other records relating to the declaration of martial law amid concerns over their discarding. The Presidential Office later said it did not possess the detailed minutes of the cabinet meeting that preceded the declaration. On 7 December, Yoon apologized for declaring martial law, describing it as a product of desperation as the head of state and pledging that there would not be a second martial law declaration. He also pledged to entrust measures related to his term in office to the PPP. Lee Jae Myung called the apology "disappointing" and insisted on Yoon's resignation or impeachment. He also criticized Yoon's power-sharing arrangement with the PPP as "destroying the constitutional order", while DPK Floor Leader
Park Chan-dae called the arrangement a "second coup". Later that day, the impeachment vote failed after only 195 lawmakers present of the 200 needed to impeach attended following a boycott by all but three MPs from the PPP. The decision led to massive public anger against the PPP, with a petition filed at the National Assembly website calling for the PPP's dissolution obtaining more than 171,000 supporters, exceeding the 50,000 needed to have the proposal submitted to the standing committee. Following the vote, Han Dong-hoon said that the PPP would continue to "push for the president's orderly retreat to minimize chaos", and said Yoon would be "effectively stripped of his duties until he retreats" while Prime Minister Han Duck-soo managed state affairs "in consultation with the party"; a party special task force proposed that Yoon leave office in February or March 2025 and elections to replace him held in April or May. The DPK said that it would continue to file impeachment motions against Yoon on a weekly basis in response. That same day, the DPK filed an impeachment motion against Interior Minister Lee Sang-min for mishandling the martial law situation. Facing mounting pressure, Lee resigned on 8 December. On 8 December, Han Dong-hoon said that the PPP had "effectively obtained [Yoon's] promise to step down" in exchange for the party blocking his impeachment, and said Yoon would "not interfere in state affairs, including foreign affairs", even before his "orderly early resignation". On 12 December, Yoon issued a statement vowing to "fight to the end", resisting the push for his resignation and claiming the martial law declaration was a legitimate "act of governance" against "forces and criminal groups that have been responsible for paralysing the country's government". Yoon accused the opposition of disrupting the constitution instead through obstructionism, arguing "The opposition parties are currently dancing a frenzied sword dance, saying that the declaration of emergency martial law was a crime of insurrection, but is that really so? Who are the forces currently paralyzing the government and disrupting the constitution of Korea?", while further claiming that the opposition majority National Assembly had taken North Korea's side in disputes, and that it was "a monster that destroys the constitutional order of liberal democracy". Following Yoon's statement, Han Dong-hoon called for Yoon's impeachment and convened an ethics committee to discuss Yoon's expulsion from the PPP. Later that day, the DPK filed its second motion to impeach Yoon, and the National Assembly passed impeachment motions against Justice Minister
Park Sung-jae and KNP Commissioner Cho Ji-ho. By the end of the same day, seven PPP lawmakers, four PPP metropolitan and provincial executives, Seoul Mayor
Oh Se-hoon,
South Chungcheong Province Governor Kim Tae-heum,
North Chungcheong Province Governor
Kim Young-hwan, and Incheon Mayor
Yoo Jeong-bok, publicly declared their support for Yoon's impeachment. On 14 December, the National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon, with 204 lawmakers, including 12 from the PPP, supporting impeachment. Yoon's presidential powers were suspended immediately upon the delivery of the impeachment resolution to the Presidential Office. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo stepped in as acting president, and the impeachment motion proceeded to the Constitutional Court. On 27 December 192 MPs in the National Assembly voted to
impeach Han Duck-soo for blocking investigations against Yoon and his wife, colluding with Yoon on martial law and blocking the appointment of justices to fill vacancies in the Constitutional Court. Despite being boycotted by the PPP, Han's impeachment was made possible with a simple majority because Han was Prime Minister rather than the elected president, as announced by National Assembly speaker
Woo Won-shik. On 21 March 2025, the DPK and four other opposition parties submitted a motion in the National Assembly to impeach Choi, citing charges that included abetting Yoon's martial law declaration. On 24 March 2025, the Constitutional Court overturned Han's impeachment, reinstating him as acting president. On 1 May, Choi resigned minutes before the National Assembly was set to vote on his impeachment, prompting the suspension of the proceedings.
Initial legal investigations The DPK sought then Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun's impeachment for proposing martial law to Yoon, and intended to file a criminal complaint against him. The party's chief spokesperson, Jo Seoung-lae, issued a statement saying: "The DPK will punish the unconstitutional and illegal emergency martial law of the Yoon administration ... We urge law enforcement agencies to immediately launch an investigation into the treason case that the entire nation is now aware of and bring the perpetrators to justice." in response to a case filed by minor opposition parties and 59 activists accusing them of treason. Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun resigned the same day and issued an apology. He said: "First, as defense minister, I feel deeply responsible and sorry for causing concern and confusion in regard to the martial law. All members of the armed forces involved in the implementation of the emergency martial law only did their duty at my direction. I take full responsibility for it." The DPK planned to appoint a permanent special counsel to investigate Yoon for treason and considered filing charges against PPP Floor Leader Cho Kyung-ho, who urged PPP lawmakers to assemble at the party's headquarters rather than the Assembly. On 8 December, former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun was arrested on suspicion of committing insurrection by advising Yoon to declare martial law and sending troops into the National Assembly to seize the legislature. The
Ministry of Justice barred Kim from leaving the country following rumors that he booked a flight to flee overseas to avoid prosecution. He could potentially be sentenced to
life in prison, or the
death penalty if found guilty. On 9 December, the Ministry of Justice issued an overseas travel ban against Yoon following an investigation into allegations of rebellion linked to his brief imposition of martial law, marking the first instance of a sitting president facing such restrictions. That same day, Lee Jae Myung issued a statement exonerating lower-ranking soldiers who participated in the martial law exercises and expressed gratitude for their restraint, saying that they had been "exploited" by their commanders. An overseas travel ban was placed on KNP Commissioner Cho Ji-ho, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Chief Kim Bong-sik and Mok Hyun-tae, head of the National Assembly Police Guards, as part of the martial law investigation. That same day, Army Maj. Gen. Moon Sang-ho, chief of the Defense Intelligence Command, was suspended over his role in the incursion into the National Election Commission's office in Gwacheon. On 11 December, KNP Commissioner Cho Ji-ho and
Seoul Metropolitan Police Chief Kim Bong-sik were
arrested without a warrant on charges of insurrection. On 12 December, Park An-su was suspended as Army Chief of Staff. On 12 December, in a plenary session, the National Assembly passed a bill calling for a special counsel probe into the insurrection charges against Yoon. On the same day, a special police investigation team and the Defense Ministry's investigation unit jointly raided the Defense Ministry and the Capital Defense Command, securing a "secret phone" of Kim Yong-hyun and the phone's server data. On 13 December, a court formally issued arrest warrants for KNP Commissioner Cho and Seoul Metropolitan Police Chief Kim, citing concerns over evidence tampering. That same day, Capital Defense Command head Lee Jin-woo was also arrested. On 14 December, prosecutors arrested DCC chief, Lt Gen. Yeo In-hyung. On 16 December, police arrested Defense Intelligence Command chief Maj. Gen. Moon Sang-ho over his role in the NEC raid. His predecessor, Roh Sang-won was also arrested on suspicion of helping Yoon draft his martial law plans in a civilian capacity. That same day, a military court ordered the arrests of Lt. Gen. Kwak Jong-geun, former chief of the Special Warfare Command and Lt. Gen. Lee Jin-woo, former head of the Capital Defense Command. On 17 December, Park An-su was arrested following a warrant. On 26 December, the defense ministry suspended Brig. Gen. Koo Sam-hoe, commander of the Army's 2nd Armored Brigade, and Brig. Gen. Bang Jeong-hwan, head of the ministry's operational control transition task force, for their role in the planning of martial law and Koo's attempts to mobilize a tank unit. On 27 December, the National Assembly voted 191–71 to create a special committee to investigate insurrection charges against Yoon, with a tenure lasting until 13 February 2025. The committee was formally opened on 31 December and was composed of 18 lawmakers, including 10 opposition and seven PPP lawmakers and one independent lawmaker. It was chaired by DPK MP
Ahn Gyu-back, with
Kim Sung-won as committee secretary for the PPP. Among the agencies to be called for questioning were the presidential office, the Office of National Security, the Presidential Security Service, the Prime Minister's Office, the Supreme Prosecutors Office, the defense, interior and justice ministries, the National Police Agency, the National Intelligence Service and the Defense Counterintelligence Command. On 15 January 2025, former colonel Kim Yong-gun was arrested for allegedly plotting the martial law declaration with former Defense Minister Kim and former intelligence commander Roh Sang-won. He was indicted on
abuse of power and
obstruction of justice charges the same day. On 5 February, the National Assembly planned an on-site questioning session at the Seoul Dongbu Detention Center, aimed to directly question key figures involved in the martial law declaration, but it was cancelled after Kim Yong-hyun refused to cooperate. Despite his witness chair already being set up, Kim declined to appear at the session, insisting that he could not attend it due to "trial preparation". Kim had previously refused to attend any parliamentary hearings held by the special committee. Democratic party member Ahn Gyu-back apologized to the committee for Kim's behavior, and added that the committee would file a complaint against Kim for contempt of the Assembly at next week's plenary session. Democratic Party representative
Han Byung-do would also voice his annoyance, stating; "Refusing to cooperate with the investigation is an outright rejection of the truth. If he is so confident and honorable, why can't he stand in front of the public?" Later that afternoon, lawmakers visited the Seoul Detention Center to hold another questioning session with President Yoon and Roh Sang-won, however the session was also cancelled when Yoon also declined to cooperate. On 6 February, the defense ministry placed Yeo In-hyung, Lee Jin-woo, Kwak Jong-geun, and Moon Sang-ho on compulsory leave of absence following an ongoing criminal investigation against them over martial law. On 17 February, a criminal investigation into first lady Kim Keon-hee was called for alleged involvement in the martial law declaration to cover up election interference. On 21 February, Kim Yong-hyun applied for a suspension of execution in protest of the prosecution's sending of his prosecution's investigation records to the Constitutional Court, but it was rejected. On 28 May 2025, former Commander of the Defense Intelligence Command Roh Sang-won was indicted on bribery charges, which revealed that he, along with former Defense Minister Kim, were accepting bribes and valuables back in August 2024 from active-duty soldiers under the pretext of requesting promotions.
Arrest warrant and political standoff Yoon Suk Yeol was summoned three times by the
Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) for questioning on 18 December 25 December, and 29 December over his declaration of martial law. He ignored all three summonses. In response, on 30 December, the CIO filed an arrest warrant for Yoon at the Seoul Western District Court. On 31 December, the court issued the warrant, valid until 6 January 2025. After the impeachment, Yoon sequestered himself in the presidential residence. On 1 January, he released a statement to his supporters pledging to "fight alongside you to the very end to protect this nation". On 3 January, authorities tried to
serve the warrant at the presidential residence but halted the attempt after being physically blocked by the Presidential Security Service. After the warrant expired on 6 January, the Seoul Western District Court extended the warrant the next day.
Police raids On 10 December, police raided the Presidential Office, with investigators presenting a search warrant that specified Yoon as the suspect. However, the
Presidential Security Service refused to cooperate, resulting in a "very limited" number of documents and materials being submitted by Yoon's office. Raids were also conducted on the Defense Counterintelligence Command, the Army Special Warfare Command, the National Police Agency, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and the National Assembly Security Service. On 12 December, police raided the Joint Chiefs of Staff headquarters adjacent to the presidential compound, as well as the Capital Defense Command headquarters. On 13 December, police raided the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police headquarters to investigate the unit's role during martial law. Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police had dispatched police forces to the NEC after the martial law declaration. On 17 December, a joint investigation team launched a raid on the offices of the Presidential Security Service. The head of the Presidential Security Service,
Park Jong-jun, resigned on 10 January 2025. He was then summoned to the National Investigation Headquarters of the National Police Agency for questioning on charges of obstruction of official duties by preventing the arrest of Yoon. Police raided a presidential safehouse in
Samcheong-dong believed to have hosted preparatory meetings for martial law and unsuccessfully tried to enter the Presidential Security Service.
Suicide attempt of Kim Yong-hyun On 10 December, at 23:52
KST, the former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun attempted to commit suicide using his clothing to try and
hang himself in the bathroom of the detention facility he was held in while in custody. Shin Yong-hae, the head of the Ministry of Justice's Correctional Service, stated at a National Assembly plenary session: "A control room worker discovered Kim Yong-hyun attempting suicide by using string connecting his underwear and underwear pants in the bathroom of the waiting area before a warrant against him was to be issued." Shin also stated: "He gave up and came out when we immediately went in and opened the door. He is currently being housed in a protection facility and I have received reports that he is in good health." Kim was indicted on insurrection charges two weeks later on 27 December. == Trials of Yoon Suk Yeol ==