SEOUL, South Korea, Dec 5, (AP): South Korea’s president replaced his defense minister Thursday as opposition parties moved to impeach both men over the stunning-but-brief imposition of martial law that brought armed troops into Seoul streets. The Democratic Party and other small opposition parties submitted a joint motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday over his martial law declaration the previous night.

Martial law lasted about six hours, as the National Assembly quickly voted to overrule the president, forcing his Cabinet to lift it before daybreak Wednesday. Jo Seoung-lae, spokesperson of the Democratic Party, said it will push for a National Assembly vote on Saturday evening to provide time for ruling party lawmakers to make their decisions on what he described as an "unconstitutional, illegal rebellion or coup.”

On Thursday, Yoon’s office said he decided to replace Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun with Choi Byung Hyuk, a retired general who is South Korea’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon Ho will be the acting minister until Choi assumes the job after a parliamentary hearing. The hearing is a formality as the president holds the power to appoint ministers outside of the prime minister without the approval of lawmakers.

Yoon’s office didn’t provide any further comments by him. He hasn’t appeared in public since his televised announcement that martial law was lifted. The opposition parties earlier submitted a motion to impeach Kim, alleging he recommended that Yoon impose martial law. Kim had offered to resign and apologized for causing disruption and concern to the public.

Kim said that "all troops who performed duties related to martial law were acting on my instructions, and all responsibility lies with me,” according to the Defense Ministry. On Thursday, the Democrats and other opposition lawmakers voted to impeach Choe Jae-hae, chairman of South Korea's auditing board, and three top public prosecutors, including Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office chief Lee Chang-soo. The four will be suspended until the Constitutional Court rules whether to remove them from office. Members of the Yoon’s People Power Party boycotted the votes, leaving the totals far over the threshold to impeach them.