South Korea’s president has accepted the resignation offer by his defense minister, as opposition parties moved to impeach both men over the stunning yet short-lived imposition of martial law that brought armed troops into Seoul streets.

South Korea's parliament introduced a motion on Thursday to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over a botched attempt to impose martial law, but his party vowed to oppose the move, throwing the process into doubt.

On Thursday, Mr Yoon replaced defence minister Kim Yong Hyun with Choi Byung Hyuk, a retired four-star general who is South Korea’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Mr Yoon’s office said. People hold candles during a candlelight vigil against South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Seoul (Lee Jin-man/AP)