South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has two options, according to his opposition — resign, or be impeached.
Mr Yoon, who has been the nation's leader since 2022, now faces condemnation and potential legal consequences after declaring martial law overnight.
In a statement, South Korea's Democratic Party said it would "immediately" initiate impeachment proceedings if he did not step down.
Here's what the next 72 hours could look like.
How does impeachment work in South Korea?
If any public official is found to have violated South Korea's constitution, they can be impeached.
Impeachment is the process of bringing charges against a government official for violating their terms of office.
The country's National Assembly needs at least 200 of its 300 members to vote in favour of impeachment.
That bill would then ask South Korea's Constitutional Court, made up of nine judges, to impeach and remove Mr Yoon from office.
The National Assembly needs to accuse Mr Yoon of violating the constitution, but does not need to prove its accusation.
If six of the nine Constitutional Court judges vote to impeach, Mr Yoon will be removed from office.
Who are the key players?
President: Yoon Suk Yeol
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has been in the job since 2022.
Before becoming the nation's 13th president, he served as the prosecutor-general.
He represents the right-wing People Power Party and is considered conservative and generally unpopular among South Koreans.
His declaration of martial law was the first time in decades that a South Korean president has seemingly tried to seize complete power via military force.
In April's election, the opposition Democratic Party scored a majority of seats in the National Assembly.
This effectively left Mr Yoon as a lame-duck leader.
His approval rating has recently hovered between 17 and 20 per cent.
Prime Minister: Han Duck-soo
South Korea's Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has since said he was completely unaware of Mr Yoon's plan to declare martial law.
In South Korea, the prime minister is the deputy head of the government and the second-highest position of power.
If Mr Yoon is impeached, power will temporarily fall to Mr Han.
According to English-language news outlet The Korea Times, Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun bypassed Mr Han to speak directly to the president.
The prime minister and his staff were uninformed.
Opposition Leader: Lee Jae-myung
Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung held a live broadcast following the martial law declaration, calling on supporters and party members to "defend this nation".
"Please come to the National Assembly," he said during the social media broadcast.
Mr Lee ran for the presidency in 2022 but lost by less than a percentage point.
As a teen, he worked in a sweatshop before an incident that almost cost him his left hand led him to become a labour lawyer.
In January, he was stabbed in the neck in an attempted assassination.
His party has called on Mr Yoon to "resign immediately".
Defence Minister: Kim Yong-hyun
Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun was appointed to the role by Mr Yoon in September.
Mr Kim stepped into the role following a series of personnel shuffles in Mr Yoon's cabinet.
Prior to being appointed, he had served as chief of the Presidential Security Service and held several key military positions.
Mr Yoon and Mr Kim attended high school together, according to local media, and Mr Kim closely advised Mr Yoon during his presidential campaign.
The leader of Mr Yoon's People Power Party has since urged him to fire Mr Kim over the "disastrous situation".
The defence ministry has confirmed Mr Kim is the one who proposed martial law to Mr Yoon.
The opposition Democratic Party currently holds the majority of National Assembly seats, with Mr Yoon's party holding 108.
On Wednesday, all 190 members present in the assembly voted in favour of lifting the martial law declaration.
[party makeup]This isn't the first time South Korea has impeached its president
If impeached, Mr Yoon will become the second South Korean president to be impeached.
In 2017, president Park Geun-hye was impeached and officially stripped of power following a corruption scandal involving a close friend linked to cult activities and multiple South Korean conglomerates.
In that case, 234 members of the National Assembly voted in favour of impeachment. The Constitutional Court then upheld the impeachment by a unanimous decision.
Ms Park was then indicted on multiple charges including abuse of power, bribery, extortion and leaking state secrets.
The court found she had colluded with her friend, allowing the woman to receive millions of dollars to help her family and fund non-profit organisations she owned.
She has denied any wrongdoing.
In 2021, a court rejected her appeal against her 20-year prison sentence. She remains behind bars.
What happens now?
Protesters and officials are calling for Mr Yoon's resignation or impeachment.
Several of his top aides, including his chief of staff, have already offered to resign, and protesters have gathered in central Seoul's Gwanghwamun Square to call for Mr Yoon's arrest.
Mr Yoon has not commented on his own political future.
