South Koreans remain deeply disturbed by what President Yoon Suk Yeol did to the nation this week. His misguided and perplexing declaration of the short-lived martial law has caused a whirlwind of outrage, confusion and conflict.

Why and how he managed to do something so erratic is not yet clear; what’s certain, however, is that he has touched off a sweeping firestorm of embarrassment across Korean society.

The most immediate and widely expected consequence of the martial law decree is a political showdown over the opposition party-led impeachment motion against him.

The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea said it would push for a vote Saturday for an impeachment motion against Yoon over his aborted martial law declaration that shocked the entire nation and the world.

The Democratic Party and Yoon's detractors are now trying to remove him from the presidency, but the outlook for impeachment remains uncertain as Han Dong-hoon, leader of the ruling People Power Party, said Thursday he will work hard with his party to block the motion's passage.

Han said his decision was not to defend Yoon’s “unconstitutional martial law” but to prevent a chaotic situation that could hurt the public.

Han’s stated position heralds a rocky path for the impeachment motion since it requires a two-thirds majority to pass parliament. Of the 300-member National Assembly, the opposition bloc needs at least eight votes from the ruling party to pass the bill.

The contrasting stance of the rival parties over the need for impeachment is expected to further deepen the level of conflict in the country’s political circles.

Adding to the political tension, the opposition-controlled National Assembly on Thursday passed impeachment motions against Board of Audit and Inspection Chair Choe Jae-hae and three top prosecutors over their roles in the relocation of the presidential office and issues involving first lady Kim Keon Hee.

Yoon’s martial law decree also put Korea’s financial and business sectors on edge. On Wednesday, foreign investors dumped stocks valued at 600 billion won ($423 million) and the Korean currency plunged to a two-year low against the US dollar at one point before regaining some of its value thanks to a pledge by the financial authorities to supply liquidity.

Experts noted that markets are now in a better condition than expected, but if political turmoil continues and uncertainty about the government’s economic policy increases, the overall credit rating of the Korean economy could suffer a setback.

International credit rating agencies like S&P have given high marks to Korea’s reliable and consistent policies. But Korea’s political risks, globally exposed by Yoon's abrupt martial law declaration, are feared to undermine the country's sovereign ratings among foreign investors.

As for relations with the US and other neighboring countries, there is no doubt that Yoon’s martial law declaration has generated negative reactions. For instance, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said the US was watching the development with “grave concern.” Diplomatic events involving the US, Japan and other countries are being delayed or canceled, reflecting heightened political and social tensions in Korea.

It is deeply regrettable that Yoon has complicated Korea’s political situation and dragged down its international stature overnight. More worrisome is that the negative impact could last longer than expected, spilling into other sectors -- a sorry development that the government must prevent with all resources and measures available.