South Korea’s opposition parties have kick-started the process to impeach Yoon Suk Yeol, the country’s president, after his brief attempt to impose martial law plunged the nation into turmoil.

The Democratic Party and five other parties came together on Wednesday afternoon to submit a motion calling for Mr Yoon’s impeachment, condemning his shock move as “insurrectionary behaviour”.

“We can no longer allow democracy to collapse. The lives and safety of the people must be protected” said Kim Yong-jin, a member of the Democratic Party’s central committee.

The party added in a statement that Mr Yoon’s gamble had been a “violation of the constitution” which “amounts to a clear act of treason, and is a perfect reason to impeach him”.

Late on Tuesday night, Mr Yoon had unexpectedly taken to the airways to announce the imposition of martial law for the first time since democracy was restored in the 1980s.