South Korean lawmakers are likely to vote on a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk-yeol on Saturday night. Yoon is facing a backlash after attempting to impose martial law. Meanwhile, Yoon has accepted the resignation of Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who ordered the military to move into the National Assembly.

The motion was submitted on Wednesday afternoon by the main opposition Democratic Party and five other parties. It accuses Yoon of violating the constitution and betraying the people.

During the plenary session that began early Thursday morning, DP lawmaker Kim Seung-won said the president has "committed an unforgivable sin."

Party spokesperson Cho Seung-rae told reporters on Thursday that his party is making arrangements for a plenary session vote at around 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. He said the date and time could change.

Under South Korea's impeachment rules, the motion must be put to a vote within 72 hours after being reported, which means lawmakers could act as early as Friday.

The leader of the ruling People Power Party, Han Dong-hoon, said at a party meeting on Thursday that the unconstitutional martial law order cannot be justified.
He urged Yoon to leave the PPP, saying his actions are counter to the spirit of the party of liberal democracy.
But Han reiterated his party will vote against the motion to avoid confusion.

The approval of at least two-thirds of the assembly is required for it to pass, but the opposition lacks the necessary votes.

If the bill is passed, Yoon will be temporarily suspended from his duties. The constitutional court will decide within 180 days whether the motion is appropriate or not.

South Koreans were thrust into uncertainty on Tuesday after Yoon announced he would impose martial law. In a television address, he said it was necessary to defend the country from what he called ''pro-North Korean anti-state forces.'' He did not cite specific threats.

The decision was reversed about six hours later after lawmakers voted it down.

Meanwhile, several high-ranking officials have announced they are stepping down. Yoon accepted the resignation of Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun on Thursday.

Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho told lawmakers on Thursday it was his superior that ordered his military to infiltrate the assembly. Yoon has named Choi Byung-huk, a former high-ranking military official, as Kim's replacement. Choi is currently serving as the ambassador to Saudi Arabia.

An official at the South Korean presidential office said on Wednesday that Yoon's declaration of emergency martial law was an attempt to normalize politics, and that it was all within a legal framework.

The president has not appeared in public since martial law was lifted. But Yoon discussed how to deal with the matter with senior officials of the ruling party on Wednesday afternoon. Attention is now focused on his next move.

A survey conducted Wednesday says about 73 percent of respondents support Yoon's impeachment. And nearly 70 percent of them say Yoon's declaration of emergency martial law amounts to treason. The survey was conducted by South Korean pollster Realmeter and 504 people responded.

The Japanese government is closely watching the situation in Seoul with serious concerns. The Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi Yoshimasa told reporters on Thursday that Japan and South Korea are important neighbors that should cooperate with each other in dealing with many challenges in the international society. Hayashi added that the government will make appropriate decisions on the countries' comprehensive bilateral relations.