VIDEO: South Korea's president faces impeachment after martial law

SARAH FERGUSON, PRESENTER: A gun turned on a lawmaker becomes a fierce symbol of resistance as shocked citizens of Seoul push back on the attempt to subvert their hard won democracy. 

President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on Tuesday night, claiming the need to purge the country of anti-state forces. 

YOON SUK YEOL, SOUTH KOREA PRESIDENT:  Through this martial law, I will rebuild and protect the free Republic of Korea, which is falling into the abyss of national ruin. 

SARAH FERGUSON: Politicians forced their way into the parliament to vote against his declaration. 

The clumsy undemocratic putsch was in reality aimed at his political opponents including those targeting his wife over receiving an undeclared luxury handbag. It lasted only six hours.   

YOON SUK YEOL:  I will accept the parliament's request and lift martial law through a Cabinet meeting.

SARAH FERGUSON:  South Korea’s opposition party are now demanding President Yoon step down, or face impeachment. 

While protesters echo the call outside parliament. 

But now it seems the music has stopped for the once crooning president. 

(President Yoon Suk Yeol singing)

SARAH FERGUSON:  James Choi, welcome to 7.30.

JAMES CHOI, FMR AMBASSADOR TO SOUTH KOREA:  Pleasure to be with you.

SARAH FERGUSON:  When the President began his announcement that he was going to declare martial law, he said, "I appeal to you with a feeling of spitting blood." So, tell me, why did the President make this shocking authoritarian move?

JAMES CHOI:  I think he felt very much under siege in the current political circumstances he was facing. 

He was basically facing a very hostile parliament that was undermining his agenda, but also targeting many of his key people that he'd appointed via acts of impeachment, but also threatening the authority that they brought to bear, especially appointees in the Audit Bureau and also in the prosecution. 

But most fundamentally, President Yoon was facing increasing pressure from both within his own party but also the opposition on the scandals related to his wife and I think he miscalculated. 

He thought that the announcement of martial law would be able to break through these political difficulties and direct attention away from the scandal surrounding himself, but also his wife. But it's been brought to bear that he miscalculated.

SARAH FERGUSON:  Just to understand what's happened today - the Minister of Defence has resigned for his role in pushing the decision, so it wasn't just the president. At least he had the Minister of Defence on side. Between them, what do you think they were trying to achieve? Why did he need the Minister of Defence and what was he after?

JAMES CHOI:  I would actually say that it was driven by the President and that the Minister of Defence was simply being asked to do what he was told to do because what is clear in the case in the Korean system is the President calls the shots. It is not just done for President Yoon, it has been under successive administrations.

But at this point in time, the only person that's been held to account for these recent actions on declaring martial law is, indeed, the Korean Defence Minister. 

But we'll have to wait and see, because obviously we now have an impeachment motion in parliament targeting the Korean President, and there'll be investigations into others surrounding the President at the time the decision was made.

SARAH FERGUSON:  In terms of what happens next, how profoundly disrupting is this to Korean democracy, I think is what I'm asking, if there is now an impeachment vote that goes ahead and is successful?

JAMES CHOI:  I know it seems disturbing and destabilising for those who've come to Korean politics anew, but certainly we will face an impeachment motion, or President Yoon will face an impeachment motion, and there will be investigations. 

And given that the opposition has the vast majority in the Korean Parliament, there's a high likelihood that that impeachment motion will, indeed, succeed depending on the ability of attracting some members of the governing party to cross the floor. 

The point is, though, that Korean democracy has matured. The institutions that underpin Korean democratic principles actually worked. 

The fact that President Yoon's unilateral and authoritarian instincts were actually held in check by the opposition, the parliament, the public, indeed, the media, indeed, it was quite significant that the conservative media in Korea actively opposed what President Yoon was trying to do and criticised him vociferously. 

So I'd actually say that there's a calm, generally, strategically, because Korean democratic institutions and principles actually worked.

SARAH FERGUSON:  At the same time, to what extent does either China or North Korea benefit from significant upheaval in Seoul?

JAMES CHOI:  I think geo-strategically, it is significant that there is political internal divisions within Korea, because the larger issue at play at the moment is the fracturing of the regional strategic underpinnings, with China's rise, with North Korea's engagement with Russia as a pseudo ally, but then the emerging fracturing that will occur as President Trump gets into power and implements his America First policies, which will place even greater pressure on South Korea to make a choice. 

And Korea's economy will then face the pressure of increased tariffs, but also increased demands to pay more for military burden-sharing. 

If you recall, under President Trump's first administration, he asked South Korea to pay $5 billion for the placement of US troops on the Korean Peninsula. I expect those demands will continue to increase on Korea, and it will continue to be pressed to choose between one side or the other. 

In fact, Korea will be a very important bellwether for these push-and-pull dynamics between the US and China in the region.

SARAH FERGUSON:  So, how deep is the divide in South Korea on the decision of whether to back or adhere more closely to the US or to China?

JAMES CHOI:  I don't think you'll have people saying that they should back China. But there are nuances on the level of support that South Korea should give the United States. I think it's a given that South Korea will continue to support the US alliance.

But you would say that the opposition, or the left-leaning party, would say that Korea should have a choice between China and the United States. 

That said, it's a difficult decision for Korea or, indeed, maybe a simple decision for Korea, because China is a competitor. China is eating away at the key exports that underpin Korea's economic success - semiconductors, battery manufacturing, EVs, consumer appliances at the high end. 

China continues to eat away at Korea's global market share in these important strategic sectors. 

So, there will be those in Korea that say it's an easy choice for Korea. Korea needs to make a pact with the United States and stay closely aligned with the United States, given the threat that China poses.

SARAH FERGUSON:  Let me ask you a question, finally, about Australia. Obviously, we just mentioned the fact that the Minister of Defence has resigned today. Given that Australia was looking for closer strategic and military ties with South Korea, as recently as three weeks ago, I think, the Defence Minister was meeting with our Defence Minister. So how big a setback is this for Australia in contemplating South Korea as a partner?

JAMES CHOI:  I don't think it will be a setback at all because frankly, given the geostrategic calculations that both our countries will make, we need each other. 

We are like-minded democracies in the region. We need to work closely with Korea and Korea needs to work closely with like-minded partners in the region. 

As Korea continues to face pressure from China but also needs to navigate its alliance with the United States, I think it's inevitable that our relations will continue to grow closer, regardless of the political directions in Korean parliament.

SARAH FERGUSON:  James Choi, thank you very much for joining us, and sharing your thoughts on the chaos in Seoul. Thank you.

JAMES CHOI:  Thank you very much, Sarah. Nice to be with you.