South Korea's Yoon leaves party ahead of snap elections

South Korea's impeached ex-president Yoon Suk Yeol said Saturday he is leaving his conservative party ahead of snap elections triggered by his ouster last month over a disastrous bid to impose martial law.

The country goes to the polls on June 3 to choose a successor to Yoon, whose removal from office has thrown the country and his People Power Party into turmoil.

The party has been under pressure to expel Yoon, who is standing trial on criminal charges of insurrection, as the main opposition Democratic Party's candidate, Lee Jae-myung, widens his lead in polls.

"I am leaving the People Power Party today," Yoon wrote on Facebook, asking people to support the PPP´s official candidate, Kim Moon-soo, who served as the ex-president´s labour minister.

The decision is to "fulfil my responsibility to protect the free Republic of Korea," he said.

Yoon's martial law declaration — which he claimed was necessary to break legislative gridlock and "root out" pro-North Korean "anti-state" forces — garnered support from extreme religious figures and right-wing YouTubers.

Pro-Yoon rallies turned violent in January when extremist supporters angered by the court´s approval of his formal arrest warrant stormed a Seoul courthouse. Four of them were handed jail terms this week.

Yoon had been accused of tacitly encouraging the violence, having sent a message in early January to his hardline supporters warning that the country was "in danger" and pledging to stand with them "to the very end".

On Saturday, Yoon said the upcoming snap election is the "last chance to prevent totalitarian dictatorship and protect liberal democracy and the rule of law."

According to the latest Gallup poll released Friday, the Democratic Party´s Lee — who is currently facing multiple criminal trials —is leading with 51 percent support, followed by the PPP´s Kim at 29%.

The PPP´s candidate Kim shot to public attention as the only cabinet member who refused to bow in apology for failing to prevent Yoon´s brief suspension of civilian rule.

But Kim apologised for Yoon´s martial law bid for the first time earlier this week, saying he is "sincerely sorry to the people who are suffering" because of it.