South Korea president to resign despite surviving impeachment vote, party says

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's future remained uncertain Sunday even after surviving an impeachment vote over his brief imposition of martial law, Report informs via France 24.

Yoon's party killed off an impeachment motion late Saturday even as huge crowds braved freezing temperatures to demand his ouster four days after he sent troops and helicopters to parliament.

But the deeply unpopular president's survival may be short-lived, with Yoon's People Power Party (PPP) saying that it had "effectively obtained (Yoon's) promise to step down" in exchange for blocking his impeachment.

"Through the orderly early resignation of the president, we will minimise the confusion to South Korea and its people, stably resolve the political situation and recover liberal democracy," PPP leader Han Dong-hoon said Sunday.

"Even before the president steps down, he will not interfere in state affairs, including foreign affairs," Han said after a meeting with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.

The premier vowed to "strengthen the emergency economic response system to closely examine risk factors in the financial and foreign exchange markets and respond promptly".

But the situation might not be sustainable, experts say, with the opposition declaring it will try to impeach Yoon again and calling for his arrest on Sunday, while protests are expected continue until his removal.