Removal of acting president Han Duck-soo is part of a rancorous battle for the country’s constitutional future

For the fourth time this month, South Korea’s parliament has become the arena for a rancorous battle for the country’s political future.

Safeguarding the hard-won rights and freedoms South Koreans have enjoyed for almost four decades is a lofty aim – and supported by the vast majority of voters – but the scenes inside the national assembly have been a reminder of how thin the line can be between democracy and rule by force.

Removal of acting president Han Duck-soo is part of a rancorous battle for the country’s constitutional future

For the fourth time this month, South Korea’s parliament has become the arena for a rancorous battle for the country’s political future.

Safeguarding the hard-won rights and freedoms South Koreans have enjoyed for almost four decades is a lofty aim – and supported by the vast majority of voters – but the scenes inside the national assembly have been a reminder of how thin the line can be between democracy and rule by force.

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Events since Yoon’s martial law declaration on December 3 had ignited South Korea’s worst political crisis since 1987 when nationwide public demonstrations forced the ruling party of former military generals to accept the democratic election of the president.

On Friday, prosecutors indicted former Defence Minister Kim Yong-Hyun in the first move to put an official accused of insurrection on trial, Yonhap News said.

This live blog is now closed, you can read more on this story here

Events since Yoon’s martial law declaration on December 3 had ignited South Korea’s worst political crisis since 1987 when nationwide public demonstrations forced the ruling party of former military generals to accept the democratic election of the president.

On Friday, prosecutors indicted former Defence Minister Kim Yong-Hyun in the first move to put an official accused of insurrection on trial, Yonhap News said.

Assembly approves motion days after parliament stripped President Yoon Suk Yeol of his powers over martial law order

South Korea’s parliament has voted to impeach the acting president, Han Duck-soo, plunging the country deeper into a political crisis that has caused policy deadlock and damaged its international reputation.

On Friday, the national assembly approved an impeachment motion introduced on Thursday by the main opposition party by a 192-0 vote. The chamber has 300 MPs, but members of the ruling People Power party (PPP) boycotted Friday’s vote.

Han took over as president after his predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol, was impeached over his short-lived imposition of martial law on 3 December. The move triggered six hours of chaos that, for many older South Koreans, brought back memories of the country’s bloody transition from military rule to democracy in the 1980s.

Yoon’s legal team will attend the first hearing in impeachment review on Friday, the same day that the acting president also faces an impeachment vote

South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol’s legal team are set to attend court on Friday as the constitutional court begins hearings into his impeachment by parliament over his short-lived imposition of martial law,

The court has 180 days to decide whether to reinstate Yoon or remove him. In the latter scenario, a new presidential election would be held within 60 days.

If motion is successful, it would be country’s second impeachment of a head of state in less than two weeks

South Korea’s opposition has said it has filed an impeachment motion against the acting president, Han Duck-soo, in an escalating row over the composition of the constitutional court which will decide whether to remove his predecessor from office.

South Korea fell into a political crisis when President Yoon Suk Yeol, currently suspended, declared martial law on 3 December.

Video of party spokesperson grappling with rifle-wielding soldier has gone viral as symbol of defiance against martial law

A South Korean party spokesperson seen grappling with a rifle-wielding soldier in a video that went viral as a symbol of defiance against martial law has insisted that she was not especially brave.

President Yoon Suk Yeol was forced to abandon his declaration of martial law this week after 190 lawmakers defied a contingent of soldiers in helmets and body armour and voted unanimously to reject it.

In today’s newsletter: Yoon Suk Yeol’s shock declaration – and subsequent reversal – has sent South Korea into political chaos, and left their president facing impeachment

Good morning. South Korea’s president, Yoon Suk Yeol, is facing impeachment after he sent heavily armed forces into Seoul’s streets with his baffling and sudden declaration of martial law on Tuesday. The move stirred memories of past dictatorships in the country, moving thousands to come out on to the streets and protest, with the military powerless, or unwilling, to do anything about it.

Opposition parties submitted an impeachment motion hours after parliament unanimously voted to cancel Yoon’s declaration, forcing him to lift martial law just 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. A vote on his impeachment could come as early as tomorrow. Today we’ll look at what happened and why.

People Power party says it will vote against impeachment bill brought by opposition amid outrage over Yoon’s attempt to declare martial law

South Korea’s ruling party says it will block a move by the opposition to impeach the beleaguered president, Yoon Suk Yeol, as police said they were investigating Yoon for alleged insurrection over his botched attempt to impose martial law.

The floor leader of the People Power party vowed on Thursday that its lawmakers would “unite” to defeat the opposition-led motion to impeach the deeply unpopular leader.

Opposition Democratic party lawmakers have called on Yoon Suk Yeol to resign immediately or they would seek his impeachment

• Yoon Suk Yeol faces calls to resign after martial law shock
• Explainer: what happened and what comes next?

South Korea’s finance ministry has said it stood ready to deploy “unlimited” liquidity into financial markets after President Yoon Suk Yeol lifted a martial law declaration he imposed overnight that pushed the won to multi-year lows, Reuters reports.

The announcement came after finance minister Choi Sang-mok and Bank of Korea governor Rhee Chang-yong held emergency talks overnight, and as the central bank board abruptly met to approve rescue measures for the local credit market.

Opposition parties submit motion to impeach Yoon after his shock bid to put South Korea under martial law for first time in over four decades

• Explainer: what happened and what comes next?

South Korean opposition parties have formally submitted a motion to impeach the president, Yoon Suk Yeol, over his short-lived declaration of martial law.

Early on Thursday, lawmakers presented to parliament an impeachment motion alleging that Yoon “gravely and extensively violated the constitution and the law” and accuses him of imposing martial law “with the unconstitutional and illegal intent to evade imminent investigations... into alleged illegal acts involving himself and his family”.

Rightwing president backs down after most serious challenge to country’s democracy since 1980s

• Live updates: President Yoon urged to explain his decision

South Korea’s rightwing president has been forced to back down after he unexpectedly declared martial law only to face unanimous opposition from the national assembly, in the most serious challenge to the country’s democracy since the 1980s.

President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law late on Tuesday amid a dispute with opposition parties he accused of pro-North Korean sympathies and anti-state activities.

Yoon Suk Yeol says in late-night address that opposition parties have taken parliamentary process hostage

• South Korea – live updates

South Korea’s National Assembly has voted to block an attempt by the president, Yoon Suk Yeol, to declare martial law, leaving the future of his emergency measure unclear as protesters and armed forces gathered in Seoul.

There was jubilation outside the National Assembly building late on Tuesday night where hundreds of people had gathered to witness armed forces enter the building as lawmakers sat in the legislature to hold an emergency session to block Yoon’s sudden declaration.