South Korean defence minister offers to resign after martial law turmoil

South Korean Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun offered to resign on Wednesday over the turmoil caused by the brief imposition of martial law by his close ally President Yoon Suk Yeol.

"First, I deeply regret and take full responsibility for the confusion and concern caused to the public regarding the martial law... I have taken full responsibility for all matters related to the martial law and have submitted my resignation to the president," Kim said in a statement.

Opposition parties submitted the impeachment motion just hours after parliament unanimously voted to cancel Yoon's declaration, forcing him to lift martial law about six hours after it began.

Impeaching Yoon requires the support of two-thirds of the National Assembly and at least six of the nine Constitutional Court justices. The liberal opposition Democratic Party holds a majority in the 300-seat parliament and has called for Yoon's resignation.

During the tense hours under martial law, heavily armed forces surrounded the parliament, backed by army helicopters and armoured vehicles. Lawmakers climbed walls to get into the building and held off troops by activating fire extinguishers.

Politician and former news anchor Ahn Gwi-ryeong tried to pull an assault rifle away from a soldier who had pointed it at her chest as she shouted: “Aren’t you ashamed of yourselves?”

The lawmakers who managed to reenter the building rejected Yoon’s martial law declaration 190-0, including 18 lawmakers from Yoon’s party, forcing Yoon to rescind it at a hastily assembled Cabinet meeting.

This is a developing story.