Han Dong-hoon, the leader of the People Power Party, speaks at a party meeting Thursday. (Yonhap)

After President Yoon Suk Yeol defended his declaration of martial law in an address Thursday, Han Dong-hoon, the chair of the ruling People Power Party, called for the president to be impeached and expelled from the party.

“The only way to solve the problem is now to remove the president from office through impeachment,” Han said.

Prior to Yoon’s Thursday address, Han had said that “early resignation” would be a better alternative to impeachment, as it would be a more “predictable, expeditious way” to unseat the president.

“It is clear that President Yoon has no intention of stepping down himself. The address by the president today shows he is unwilling to surrender his position and submit to the judgment of the people,“ the ruling party leader said.

Han said that an “immediate suspension of his presidential powers is necessary.“ “President Yoon should no longer have control over the running of state affairs or command of the military,“ he said.

When asked by a reporter if he was in favor of impeachment, Han responded with an unequivocal “Yes,” adding, “There is no other way.”

At the meeting of the entire ruling party held shortly after the president’s address, Han said he believed his party should vote in support of Yoon’s impeachment at the next vote slated for Saturday.

Han urged the lawmakers to “show up at the next impeachment vote, and vote with their conscience.“ “I trust the lawmakers of our party to vote for the country and the people,” he said.

He also said the president needed to be expelled from the party.

Speaking to ruling party lawmakers, Han said Yoon has “basically admitted to committing insurrection by rationalizing his imposition of martial law.”

Han was met with protest by some lawmakers in the room.

“Nobody in our party agreed to, or knew beforehand that the president was going to impose martial law. Imposing martial law was clearly wrong, and inappropriate,” Rep. Lee Chul-gyu, a lawmaker considered a key member of the pro-Yoon faction, said.

“However, I do not think we should be concluding ahead of the investigation and the decision of the court that what the president did constitutes insurrection.”

Over the week, ruling party lawmakers including Reps. Cho Kyun-tae, Kim Sang-wook and Bae Hyun-jin have voiced open support for impeaching the president.

Rep. Jin Jong-oh and Rep. Han Ji-ah of the PPP on Thursday revealed their decision to support Saturday's impeachment vote, becoming the sixth and seventh ruling party lawmakers who will vote for Yoon's impeachment.

In his 30-minute speech, Yoon said he declared martial law “as a warning” to the opposition pushing a streak of impeachment motions against members of his Cabinet.

The president said he did not intend to block lawmakers from getting to the Assembly. He said he had troops raid the National Election Commission after the watchdog refused inspections despite cyberattacks by North Korea.