South Korean president to lift martial law after parliamentary backlash

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced Wednesday that martial law would be lifted and troops withdrawn from parliament, hours after imposing the emergency measure in a dramatic televised address.

“Just a moment ago, there was a demand from the National Assembly to lift the state of emergency, and we have withdrawn the military that was deployed for martial law operations,” Yoon said in a televised address.

Yoon’s decision came after the National Assembly called for the removal of martial law, with 190 lawmakers voting unanimously to demand its reversal.

Under South Korea’s constitution, martial law must be lifted when a majority of parliament demands it.

“I will accept the National Assembly’s request and lift martial law through a Cabinet meeting,” Yoon said in a statement.

Cabinet approves motion to lift the martial law

Meanwhile, South Korea’s cabinet approved a motion to lift martial law, Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday.

The report came minutes after President Yoon Suk Yeol announced that he had withdrawn his bid to impose martial law, and that cabinet was required to lift it.

‘Anti-state activities’

On Tuesday night, Yoon declared martial law, accusing the opposition of paralyzing the government with “anti-state activities.” This marked South Korea’s first martial law declaration in over four decades.

Yoon justified the move by citing the need to protect the country from North Korea’s communist forces and eliminate “anti-state elements.”

“To safeguard a liberal South Korea from the threats posed by North Korea’s communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements plundering people’s freedom and happiness, I hereby declare emergency martial law,” Yoon said in his earlier live televised address to the nation.

However, he did not provide specifics on the threats from the North, which remains technically at war with South Korea.