South Korea's Military Chief Offers Resignation Amid Military State of Emergency

seoul - South Korea's military chief has offered his resignation following the military state of emergency earlier this week, according to the South Korean news agency Yonhap.

The South Korean police have launched an investigation into President Yoon Suk-yeol for treason, following the declaration of the military state of emergency.

The investigation was initiated after two complaints were filed by a small opposition party and a group of 59 activists. These complaints also target the resigned Minister of Defense Kim Yong-hyun, Minister of Interior Lee Sang-min, and military chief Park An-su.

Opposition parties aim to impeach Yoon on Saturday. To bring the case to the constitutional court, which has the final say, they need a two-thirds majority in parliament. This majority seems unlikely as eight members of Yoon's ruling party PPP would have to turn against the president, and the PPP has already stated their intention to block the impeachment. PPP leader Han Dong-hoon has, however, requested Yoon to leave the party.

Yoon narrowly won the 2022 presidential elections and has been leading a minority government since then, facing strong opposition in parliament. His popularity has been declining recently, with many voters expressing dissatisfaction with his economic policies and controversies surrounding Yoon's wife. First lady Kim Keon-hee was accused of violating anti-corruption laws by accepting expensive gifts, although prosecutors decided not to prosecute her in that case.