Calls grow for South Korea’s president to resign after martial law chaos

South Korea’s main international airport appeared to be operating normally as of 11 a.m. local time on Wednesday morning, according to the airport’s website and traveling CNN teams.

Several flights appeared to be delayed but, largely, flights were operating as usual at Incheon International Airport, according to the airport’s website.

CNN did not see any visible sign of extra security or law enforcement at the airport, hours after the South Korean president declared martial law, a decree which was later rescinded after fierce backlash.

Several countries, including the United States, have urged travelers in South Korea to take caution amid demonstrations over President Yoon Suk Yeol’s rescinded martial law decree.

The US Mission in South Korea advised Americans to exercise caution, avoid areas where demonstrations are taking place and monitor local news for the latest guidance from authorities.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a press conference in Seoul on October 24.

Questions are swirling about South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s political future on Wednesday, with opposition lawmakers warning they would begin impeachment proceedings if he does not step down immediately.

What that would look like: Under the South Korean constitution, parliament can pass a motion for the president’s impeachment if he has “violated the Constitution or other Acts in the performance of official duties.”

Impeachment would need to be proposed by a majority of parliament – and approved by two thirds of all lawmakers.

The proposal would then go to the Constitutional Court – one of South Korea’s highest courts, along with the Supreme Court. At least six of nine justices must agree to go ahead with the impeachment.

The president would be suspended from exercising his power during the process until the impeachment is adjudicated, according to the constitution.

What would come next: During the court process, the prime minister would step in as interim leader. Current Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is a career politician serving in the role for a second time. He was previously prime minister from 2007 to 2008 under President Roh Moo-hyun, who was impeached and forced out of office for two months before being restored to power by the Constitutional Court.

If an impeachment is upheld and the president resigns, the government must hold elections within 60 days, according to the constitution.

Striking workers from South Korea’s largest umbrella union gathered at a major intersection in Seoul on Wednesday morning, calling for the resignation of President Yoon Suk Yeol following his rescinded martial law decree.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), which boasts more than a million members, announced earlier its workers will go on an indefinite general strike until Yoon resigns.

Some workers at the capital’s Gwanghwamun Square held signs saying “Arrest Civil War Criminal Yoon Suk Yeol!” and called for the president’s impeachment.

The square is a busy thoroughfare near the entrance to the centuries-old Gyeongbokgung Palace, the country’s former seat of power.

Protesters stage a rally to demand South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to step down in front of the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, December 4.

Demonstrators gathered Wednesday morning outside South Korea’s National Assembly to demand the resignation of President Yoon Suk Yeol.

The crowd of around 100 people chanted, “Arrest Yoon Suk Yeol” and “Trash Yoon Suk Yeol,” and called for his impeachment and removal from office, according to CNN producers at the scene.

There are growing calls for the president to step down after he declared martial law late Tuesday. The president lifted the measure hours later after lawmakers unanimously rejected his decree.

There is a heavy police presence around the National Assembly following overnight protests.

The South Korean president’s chief of staff and more than 10 senior secretaries to the president have submitted their resignations, according to the president’s office.

President Yoon Suk Yeol has not yet resigned despite growing calls for him to step down over his late-night martial law decree.

A Lady Dior Pouch on Christian Dior's official website. The bag is at the center of a political controversy in South Korea.

Yoon Suk Yeol’s political future hangs in the balance after his failed martial law attempt Tuesday, but the embattled South Korean president had already faced calls to resign this year as his popularity tanked – in large part due to a designer handbag.

Yoon’s wife, First Lady Kim Keon Hee, was accused last year of accepting a $2,200 Christian Dior bag as a gift – a potential violation of South Korea’s anti-graft law, which bans public officials and their spouses from receiving gifts worth more than $750 in connection with their public duties.

The controversy began last November, when a secretly filmed video surfaced online purporting to show Kim receiving a cloud blue, calfskin “Lady Dior Pouch” from a Korean American pastor, Choi Jae-young.

Last month, authorities decided not to charge the first lady over the allegations of inappropriately accepting gifts including the handbag, the Yonhap news agency reported, citing Seoul prosecutors.

But Yoon’s response to the controversy hit his public standing. The president claimed the video was a “political stunt” aimed at influencing midterm elections – which the opposition won by a landslide, widely seen as a referendum on his rule.

Read more about how a Dior bag shook South Korean politics

Yoon Suk Yeol, representing the conservative People Power Party, has served as president of South Korea since 2022. He won the election by a razor-thin margin, pulling ahead of rival Lee by less than one percentage point.

Yoon was a newcomer to politics, having spent the previous 27 years of his career as a prosecutor. Since taking office — succeeding the liberal President Moon Jae-in — he has faced a raft of challenges, from the perma-threat of North Korea to rising tensions between South Korea’s major partners, the US and China — as well as plummeting birth rates.

He has long taken a tough stance on North Korea, a shift from his predecessor, Moon, who favored dialogue and peaceful reconciliation. Yoon lambasted this approach as “subservient.” Yoon instead promised to bulk up South Korea’s military, even hinting he would launch a preemptive strike if he saw signs of an offensive launch against Seoul.

In his announcement to declare martial law late Tuesday, he accusing the country’s main opposition party of sympathizing with North Korea and anti-state activities

But he has faced political battles at home, sparring with the opposition Democratic Party, which has repeatedly impeached ministers and frustrated the government’s fiscal plans.

Yoon has seen his popularity ratings plunge since he took office — thanks to a series of scandals and controversies that even prompted hundreds of thousands to call for his impeachment.

South Korea’s benchmark Kospi index opened down 2% Wednesday morning local time but quickly recovered. It was last trading down 1.0%.

The South Korean currency, the won, also strengthened against the US dollar after plunging overnight to a 2-year low after martial law was declared.

Economists at investment bank Citi wrote in a Wednesday research note that the negative impact to the economy and financial market could be “short-lived.”

South Korean protesters hold a banner that reads "we condemn Yoon Suk Yeol's illegal martial law" during a rally against President Yoon Suk Yeol at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on December 4.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s political future is uncertain after he declared martial law late Tuesday night — and then lifted the decree hours later following backlash from lawmakers and citizens.

The incident comes at a time when Yoon’s popularity is already fragile because of a series of scandals and deadlocked politics. The most recent Gallup Korea poll, taken before the martial law fiasco, showed his approval rating at just 19%.

Here’s a recap of what happened:

What to know about martial law: The last time a South Korean president declared martial law was in 1980, during a nationwide uprising led by students and labor unions. It would mean that all political activities, including those related to the National Assembly, rallies and protests are banned, Yonhap News Agency reported. The decree also prohibited “denying free democracy or attempting a subversion,” and outlawed “fake news” and “manipulating public opinion.”

Yoon’s political future in the balance:

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has postponed his first scheduled public meeting on Wednesday morning, Yonhap News Agency reported, after lifting a martial law order just hours after the decree following a fierce backlash.

Yoon was set to preside over a drug response meeting at 10 a.m. local time at the Yongsan Presidential Office, Yonhap reported.

Yoon announced he would lift the martial law order after lawmakers unanimously rejected his decree. The lifting of martial law was approved by a vote of his cabinet shortly afterward.

South Korea’s largest union confederation said its members will go on an indefinite general strike until President Yoon Suk Yeol resigns following his attempt to impose martial law.

The KCTU boasts 1.2 million members.

The union confederation said members will gather at Gwanghwamun Square this morning. The huge square in central Seoul which has long been the location for political protests.

Police officers attempt to clear protesters as they occupy the street outside the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, early on Wednesday, December 4.

Hundreds of police officers are guarding South Korea’s National Assembly building following the protests that broke out over the president’s late-night martial law declaration.

Wearing bright yellow jackets, rows of officers are stationed at the front gate of the building in freezing temperatures.

Dozens of protesters are also assembled there. Earlier, some people blocked the road before they were cleared by police.

South Korea’s opposition Democratic Party says it will begin impeachment proceedings against President Yoon Suk Yeol if he doesn’t step down immediately.

The party criticized his martial law declaration, calling it an act of rebellion and grounds for impeachment.

Earlier, the floor leader of the opposition party, Park Chan-dae, said Yoon “cannot avoid the charge of treason” and called for him to “step down immediately” over his declaration of martial law.

Protesters gather outside the National Assembly after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in Seoul, South Korea, early on Wednesday, December 4.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in an unannounced late-night TV address on Tuesday.

Yoon faced an immediate backlash from lawmakers and citizens alike before he reversed himself hours later after the parliament voted to block the decree.

The last time a South Korean president declared martial law was in 1980, during a nationwide uprising led by students and labor unions.

It’s now Wednesday morning in Seoul. Catch up on everything that happened:

What happens under martial law: Citing the full military decree, here’s what was announced:

The reason for the martial law decree: Yoon accused the country’s main opposition party of sympathizing with North Korea and anti-state activities. He cited a motion by the opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in parliament, to impeach top prosecutors and reject a government budget proposal.

Political backlash: Lawmakers assembled in the parliament unanimously voted to block the decree. Of South Korea’s 300 National Assembly members, 190 were present to vote in the emergency late-night session. The chief of the president’s own political party condemned the decree, saying the move was “wrong” and he would “block it” together with rival lawmakers, according to Yonhap News Agency. Afterward, the floor leader of the opposition party said Yoon “cannot avoid the charge of treason,” and called for him to “step down immediately.”

Citizens’ response: CNN staff saw citizens of Seoul rushing to be with their family members after martial law was declared. People are being told by law enforcement that they could be arrested without warrants. Protesters gathered in front of the parliament building, saying “they are not going back” to a time of military rule, CNN international correspondent Mike Valerio reported. They carried signs and flags, and some of them were calling for Yoon’s impeachment.

Troops: Members of parliament appeared to clash with authorities outside the National Assembly members’ building. Television footage showed troops attempting to enter the main hall of the National Assembly, Reuters reported. Just past 1 a.m. local time in Seoul, after lawmakers unanimously voted to block the decree, troops began to withdraw, according to Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo.

Yoon lifts the order: Just before 5 a.m. local time, Yoon announced he would lift the martial law order, citing the vote by parliament. Shortly afterward, the cabinet voted to lift the decree.

The US Embassy in South Korea advised Americans to “avoid areas where demonstrations are taking place” following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law order and subsequent reversal, noting that “the situation remains fluid.”

In an alert, the embassy said it is cancelling “routine consular appointments for U.S. citizens and visa applicants” on Wednesday.

The alert also said embassy employees “will maximize telework and limit the in-person school attendance of U.S. Embassy children.”

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol arrives for a press conference at the Presidential Office in Seoul, South Korea, on November 7.

President Yoon Suk Yeol won the 2022 election by a whisker — 0.7%, which was the narrowest margin in South Korean history.

At the time, some voters told me they voted for Yoon as they disliked the other candidate more, hardly a mandate for change. Yoon was a political novice, a former prosecutor, and a domestic and international unknown.

That would explain why even conservative leaders came out swiftly against martial law.

A series of scandals — some involving Yoon’s wife Kim Keon Hee — has whittled away at his fragile popularity. The most recent Gallup Korea poll, taken before the martial law fiasco, showed his approval rating at just 19%.

Yoon has struggled to push his political agenda forward in a parliament controlled by the opposition Democratic Party. Voters see little movement on issues important to them: the economy, real estate prices, low birth rates, equality.

It is ironic that Yoon made his name as the prosecutor general who led the corruption case against former President Park Geun-hye in 2016 that led to her impeachment. Ironic too that part of his justification for the martial law decree was a motion by the opposition Democratic Party to impeach top prosecutors.

Calls for Yoon’s own impeachment, which previously centered on corruption allegations, will now only get louder. There have been protests calling for him to step down for weeks.

When I interviewed President Yoon less than two weeks into his tenure, he proudly showed me a placard on his desk that US President Joe Biden had given him, “The buck stops here.”

As even the leader of Yoon’s own party demands an explanation, President Harry Truman’s words take on fresh relevance.

The White House is expressing relief after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol lifted the martial law declaration following country’s parliamentary vote to block it.

President Joe Biden has yet to substantively comment on the situation, which caught US officials by surprise today. The president briefly told reporters that he was about to be briefed on the matter after delivering a speech at the National Museum of Slavery in Angola.

Park Chan-dae, the floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, speaks at the emergency action declaration ceremony on the steps of the National Assembly Main Building in Yeouido., on May 10.

The floor leader of South Korea’s opposition Democratic Party said President Yoon Suk Yeol “cannot avoid the charge of treason” over his declaration of martial law.

Park Chan-dae called for the South Korean president to “step down immediately.”

Yoon had dramatically escalated a dispute with the Democratic Party by calling for martial law late on Tuesday, a step that was condemned by lawmakers of all sides.

Han Dong-hoon, leader of the People Power Party, holds a meeting at the union's headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, on November 19.

The leader of Yoon Suk Yeol’s party has urged the South Korean president to explain his “tragic” decision to introduce martial law and called for the country’s defense minister to be fired.

The People’s Power Party had immediately opposed the president’s move to introduce martial law, calling it unconstitutional.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said he will lift his martial law order after lawmakers unanimously rejected his decree. The lifting of martial law was approved by a vote of his cabinet shortly afterward.

This is what he said in his full statement:

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s cabinet has voted to lift martial law, shortly after he announced his intention to withdraw the measure.

Yoon had previously said he intended to lift the measure after the National Assembly voted to block it, but needed to wait until enough members of the cabinet were able to vote.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said he will lift his martial law order following the parliamentary vote to block it.

Yoon said he will withdraw his martial law order as soon as he has the required level of support from his Cabinet. He added that, given the time in South Korea, he had not yet been able to convene his full Cabinet to support the withdrawal. His statement came shortly before 5 a.m. local time.

The president also said he withdrew the troops deployed to carry out the martial law order after the National Assembly’s voted – by 190-zero – to block the decree.

The president, in his statement, again attacked the opposition party for frustrating the moves of his government, doubling down on the initial justification for the order.

Yoon had previously cited the opposition’s impeachment motions against government officials, suggesting they amounted to the actions of pro-North, anti-state forces.

His U-turn comes in the face of massive and unified opposition, which prompted a frantic vote in parliament and an outpouring of condemnation from his critics and his own party.

This post was updated with more details on Yoon’s latest move.

People gather in front of the National Assembly on Wednesday, December 04, in Seoul, South Korea.

In the hours after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law, protesters gathered in front of the parliament building to let him know that “they are not going back” to a time of military rule, CNN international correspondent Mike Valerio reported.

Earlier, a few blocks away from the National Assembly, the demonstrators crowded a military vehicle, bringing it to a standstill, and shouted at members of the military.

In front of the parliament building, protesters are carrying have signs and flags, some of them calling for Yoon’s impeachment. The main question moving forward is what the president’s political future looks like, Valerio reported.

“Expect this to grow in the coming hours,” Valerio said pointing to the crowd behind him. “And demand that the president step down after this huge moment of unrest and martial law being instituted briefly across South Korea.”

President Yoon Suk Yeol’s own political party has urged him to drop his efforts to introduce martial law in South Korea, as the country’s political blocs unite in opposition to the move.

A consensus was reached against the effort during a People’s Power Party meeting, the Yonhap news agency reported, shortly after lawmakers in the National Assembly voted to block the move.

The party urged Yoon to “accept the National Assembly’s resolution to lift martial law and promptly lift it,” Yonhap reported.

It’s unclear whether the president will relent to pressure from his party and accept the parliamentary vote, which he is required to do by South Korean law.

Kang Kyung-wha is seen in Seoul in November 2020.

Former South Korean Foreign Minister Kyung-wha Kang said President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law in a surprise late-night address on Tuesday was “shocking” since “nothing in the circumstances around the country warranted this.”

Kang said this declaration was without reason and appropriate processes, and it has “further undermined” the authority of the president. She said she was “relieved” when the parliament quickly voted against the decree.

The statements from leaders of the ruling and opposition parties have been “very stabilizing,” she said.

Kang said that Yoon, in declaring martial law, may have been influenced by “hard-line conservatives and anti-communists.”

“But from that to jump to this idea that there are communist sympathizers, anti-state agents scheming to overthrow the government is completely out of the blue, completely unrelated to anything I can see happening in the country,” she said.

While the political landscape in South Korea is divisive and polarized at the moment, the president’s job should be to reunite the country, Kang said. But “he has gone exactly the opposite — more polarized, more extremist in the messages that he’s been delivering to the country.”

The United States wants the situation in South Korea “to be resolved peacefully in accordance with the rule of law,” State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said Tuesday, adding that “certainly, the legislature voting to pass something would be consistent with the law of that country.”

Lawmakers who assembled in South Korea’s parliament unanimously voted to block the president’s martial law decree on Tuesday.

Patel confirmed that the US was “not notified in advance” that South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol would declare martial law.

Patel emphasized that the US government is “continuing to seek to engage our counterparts, both here in the United States, but also in Seoul,” but would not provide further details about the diplomatic engagement.

“What we’re focused on right now is continuing to gather the facts, monitor the situation on the ground, and expect this to be fully resolved peacefully and consistent with the rule of law,” he said at a press briefing.

As for the military in neighboring North Korea, the US is closely monitoring the situation but is not aware of “any force posture changes,” according to Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder, the US Department of Defense press secretary.

Additionally, Ryder said the martial law has not yet had any impact on US troops stationed in South Korea and that there have also been no force posture changes for the roughly 28,000 US troops in the country.

This post has been updated with remarks from the Pentagon.

Sydney Seiler speaks during an interview with the Associated Press in Washington, in September 2023.

South Korea and its allies will need to watch if North Korea tries to exploit the currently unfolding situation in Seoul after South Korea’s president declared martial law late Tuesday, one former special envoy to the Six Party Talks on North Korea said.

The Six Party Talks were aimed at negotiating the end to North Korea’s nuclear program.

“We need to keep our eyes focused on North Korea and whether they will see an opportunity to exploit this,” Sydney Seiler, the former envoy, told CNN.

In declaring martial law, President Yoon Suk Yeol accused the country’s main opposition party of sympathizing with North Korea and anti-state activities.

The country’s National Assembly has since voted to block the decree, but it’s not clear if Yoon will comply. Regardless, the move, which US officials said appeared to catch the Biden administration by surprise, has thrown South Korea into political chaos.

Seiler said another thing to watch for his how Yoon responds to the National Assembly’s vote and “how he accepts it.” The president is obligated to comply with the vote under South Korean law, but now the president’s cabinet must “deliberate” and review the decision to lift the decree, according to the constitution.

US President Joe Biden leaves after visiting the National Slavery Museum in Morro da Cruz, near Luanda, Angola, on December 3.

US President Joe Biden declined to weigh in on the unfolding events in South Korea after the country’s lawmakers blocked South Korean President Yoon’s martial law decree, saying he has yet to be fully briefed.

“I’m just getting briefed on it,” Biden told reporters when asked about South Korea after delivering a speech at the National Museum of Slavery in Angola.

The Biden administration was “not notified in advance” of the president declaring martial law, a spokesperson for the National Security Council said in an updated statement.

Earlier, CNN reported that many in the Biden administration appeared to have been caught by surprise by the turn of events.

“We are seriously concerned by what we are seeing develop,” according to a senior administration official.

Earlier in the day, a National Security Council spokesperson said: “The Administration is in contact with the ROK (Republic of Korea) government and is monitoring the situation closely.”

Biden and Yoon’s relationship: The US president has praised Yoon as a “great friend” in meetings both at the White House and overseas.

Just days after Yoon was sworn into office in 2022, Biden visited Seoul. Yoon also joined Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida for 2023’s historic Camp David summit.

Yoon even took the microphone during a 2023 state dinner at the White House to deliver a rendition of “American Pie” by Don McLean, prompting Biden to joke, “The next state dinner we’re going to have, you’re looking at the entertainment!”

This post has been updated with Biden’s remarks, comments from the National Security Council, and background on Biden and Yoon.

CNN’s Donald Judd and Samantha Waldenberg contributed reporting to this post.

The United States is “watching the developments” in South Korea “with grave concern,” Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said Tuesday after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in the country.

Campbell said the US is seeking to engage with South Korean counterparts “at every level, both here and in Seoul.”

“I do want to underscore that our alliance with the ROK is ironclad, and we stand by Korea in their time of uncertainty,” he said, using the acronym for South Korea’s formal name – the Republic of Korea.

“I also want to just underscore that we have every hope and expectation that any political disputes will be resolved peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law,” he added.

Campbell said the US government will “have more to say as the situation develops.”

People gather outside the National Assembly in Seoul in the early hours of December 4 after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in an unannounced late-night TV address Tuesday, accusing the country’s main opposition party of sympathizing with North Korea and anti-state activities.

But soon after, South Korean lawmakers voted to block the martial law decree. The president is obligated to comply with the vote under South Korean law.

However, it is unclear whether that will happen. The martial law decree published shortly before lawmakers assembled in parliament declared all political and parliamentary activities to be prohibited.

Regardless, the president’s cabinet must “deliberate” and review the decision to lift martial law, according to the constitution.

Here’s what we know so far:

Lawmakers sit inside the National Assembly in Seoul in the early hours of December 4.

In just a few hours, South Korea — known for decades as a vibrant democracy after transitioning from postwar authoritarian rule — has been thrown into political chaos.

After President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law for the first time since 1980, lawmakers assembled and unanimously voted to block the move.

Some context: Under the country’s constitution, the president has the power to declare extraordinary martial law, which allows special measures influencing freedoms of speech, press, assembly and association.

The president must then notify the National Assembly of his decision — but if a majority of lawmakers vote to lift martial law, “the president shall comply,” according to the constitution.

The president’s cabinet must then “deliberate” and review the decision to lift martial law, according to the constitution.

It’s not clear whether Yoon will comply with the lawmakers’ vote as required by law, or what the cabinet will say.

Even the leader of Yoon’s ruling People Power Party, Han Dong-hoon, called on the president to lift the decree, according to news agency Yonhap.

The US Embassy in Seoul and the US Department of State “are closely tracking President Yoon’s recent declaration of martial law,” US Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg said Tuesday.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s move late Tuesday night shook a country that has been considered democratic for decades — but also revived memories of a more painful, authoritarian past.

After the Korean War, which cost more than 2.8 million lives from 1950 to 1953, South Korea’s president at the time — Syngman Rhee, a US-educated former independence fighter — adopted a strongman approach, declaring martial law and making himself president for life.

Deadly mass protests broke out against his dictatorial rule, forcing Rhee to eventually resign and flee the country.

But democracy didn’t follow; Gen. Park Chung-hee seized power in a coup in 1961, declaring martial law again in the ’70s when his popularity began dropping.

The last time a South Korean president declared martial law was in 1980, during a nationwide uprising led by students and labor unions.

Transition to democracy: South Korea would not elect a president via direct and free elections until 1988, when Roh Tae-woo became leader — overseeing the country’s transition to democracy, and becoming the first Korean president to peacefully hand over power to a civilian successor.

Since then, South Korea has been a modern, boisterous and vibrant democracy, where protests are commonplace, free speech guaranteed and power peacefully transferred between rival political camps.

Instability in South Korea could impact both the United States’ geopolitical power and the economy, CNN military analyst Cedric Leighton said.

“This is a dangerous moment, because any instability in South Korea is currently going to affect our ability to project power from a military standpoint in the Indo-Pacific,” he told CNN.

Thousands of US troops are stationed in South Korea. The US also has “a lot of business connections (and) economic connections in South Korea,” Leighton said.

South Korean stocks tumbled late Tuesday local time after President Yoon Suk declared martial law.

Soldiers leave the National Assembly in Seoul after South Korea's parliament passed a motion requiring the martial law declared by President Yoon Suk Yeol to be lifted in the early hours of December 4.

Just past 1 a.m. local time in Seoul, after lawmakers unanimously voted to block the president’s martial law decree, dozens of troops that had entered the main parliamentary building began to withdraw, according to Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo.

Local television stations also showed troops withdrawing from the building.

Some forces are still waiting within the National Assembly grounds, though some appear to have set down their gear, Chosun Ilbo reported.

Citizens waiting outside the building cheered when news came of the lawmakers’ vote, according to Chosun Ilbo — with some shouting, “Long live the Republic of Korea!” and “Yoon Suk-yeol, step down!”

Key context: One hundred and ninety lawmakers voted to overturn the measure. It’s unclear what effect the vote will have on the martial law declaration. Under South Korean law, the president is obliged to comply with the vote.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol takes an oath during his inauguration in front of the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, on May 10, 2022.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has seen his popularity ratings plunge since he took office in 2022, due to a series of scandals and controversies that even prompted hundreds of thousands to call for his impeachment.

Deadly crowd crush: Just months after his inauguration, the Itaewon Halloween crowd crush took place, killing 159 people, with the public demanding accountability and action from authorities.

Families told CNN a year on they remained unsatisfied with the response — especially after Yoon blocked a bill proposing a new probe into the incident earlier this year, according to Reuters.

Designer bag controversy: Then there was the Dior bag controversy: The president’s wife, Kim Keon Hee, was accused of accepting a $2,200 designer bag as a gift, which would violate the anti-graft law banning public officials and their spouses from receiving gifts valued at more than $750.

Yoon has called the Dior allegations a “political stunt” — but instead of blowing over, the scandal has escalated into a full-blown crisis for Yoon and his conservative party, reflected in the parliamentary elections in April where liberal opposition parties scored a landslide victory.

The opposition’s parliamentary sway is partly what prompted Yoon to order emergency martial law, citing a motion by the opposition to impeach top prosecutors and reject a government budget proposal.

Lawmakers who assembled in South Korea’s parliament unanimously voted to block the president’s martial law decree.

Of South Korea’s 300 National Assembly members, 190 were present to vote in the emergency late-night session, which took place hours after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in a televised address. All 190 voted to block the move.

“The people should … rest easy. The National Assembly will defend democracy with the people,” he said.

Remember: It is unclear whether Yoon will comply with the vote, which he is required to do under South Korean law.

The martial law decree published shortly before lawmakers assembled in parliament declared all political and parliamentary activities to be prohibited.

A general view of US Camp Humphreys in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, on February 21, 2019.

The astonishing political instability now coursing through South Korea will reverberate far beyond its borders, including in Washington.

South Korea and the United States have a decades-old mutual defense treaty, which means both must come to the aid of the other if they are ever attacked.

Key US military installations dot South Korea.

Among them is the US Army’s Camp Humphreys, the largest US military installation outside of the United States with a population of more than 41,000 US service members, civilian workers, contractors and family members.

Alongside Japan and the Philippines, which also boast a mutual defense treaty with the US, South Korea is part of a trio of regional powers that have helped to bolster American power in both Asia and the Pacific for decades.

Advocates argue that a significant US troop presence in the Korean Peninsula is crucial to deter any potential attack from North Korea as Kim Jong Un’s regime continues to build its nuclear arsenal and as a way of bolstering the US presence in the region to counter China’s aggression.

While tensions between North and South Korea have ebbed and flowed in recent decades, the relationship has become particularly fraught since Yoon took office, with both sides resorting to increasingly threatening rhetoric and actions.

South Korean stocks tumbled Tuesday after President Yoon Suk declared martial law in order to protect the country from “communist forces.”

The iShares MSCI South Korea ETF, which trades in the US and includes close to 100 large and midsized South Korean companies, dropped by 6%. In UK trading, shares of Samsung, South Korea’s largest company, fell by 7%.

The US dollar jumped by around 2% against the won, which marked the lowest level since 2009 for the South Korean currency.

Yoon’s announcement came at 11 p.m. local time, with the stock market already closed. It is unclear if the stock exchange will open Wednesday. Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok is planning an emergency meeting with officials from the Bank of Korea, the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service, The Korea Times reported Tuesday.

South Korea is the world’s 13th-largest economy.

Police buses are seen outside the National Assembly in Seoul after South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law.

Lawmakers in South Korea have voted to block the martial law decree announced by President Yoon Suk Yeol.

One-hundred ninety lawmakers in the 300-seat national assembly voted to overturn the measure.

It’s unclear what effect the vote will have on the martial law declaration. Under South Korean law, the president is obliged to comply with the vote.

This post has been updated with additional developments.

South Korea’s martial law decree bans all political and parliamentary activities and allows arrests without a warrant, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing the full military decree.

“All political activities, including those related to the National Assembly, regional assemblies, political parties, the forming of political organizations, rallies and protests are banned,” according to the decree, Yonhap reported.

The decree also prohibits “denying free democracy or attempting a subversion,” and outlaws “fake news” and “manipulating public opinion.”

People who violate the decree can be arrested or raided without the need for a warrant, Yonhap reported, citing the decree.

Citing the same document, Reuters reported that “strikes, work stoppages and rallies that incite social chaos” are also prohibited.

That includes doctors who had been engaged in a walkout; they have been ordered by the decree to return to work within 48 hours, according to Reuters.

President Yoon Suk Yeol’s decision to declare martial law is one of the most dramatic political decisions made by a South Korean leader in its modern democratic history and plunges a major East Asia economy — and a key regional US ally — into unchartered waters.

South Korea has been a modern, boisterous and vibrant democracy since the late 1980s. For decades, protests have been commonplace, free speech guaranteed and power peacefully transferred between rival political camps.

South Korea’s domestic politics has long been fractious and highly partisan. But no leader in the democratic era has gone as far as declaring martial law.

In recent months, Yoon and his ruling People Power Party faced significant opposition from their main rivals the Democratic Party, which has used parliament to impeach key cabinet members and hold up a budget bill.

Yoon has also dismissed calls for independent investigations into various scandals that have enveloped both key officials and his wife, creating an increasingly febrile and politically charged atmosphere inside the country.

It is not clear how long Yoon’s martial order may last. According to the Associated Press, under South Korean law, martial law can be lifted with a majority vote in the parliament, where the opposition Democratic Party holds a majority.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a speech to declare martial law in Seoul, South Korea, on December 3.

The South Korean president’s decision to declare martial law across the country is a “frankly bizarre” political move, John Nilsson-Wright, the head of Cambridge University’s Japan and Koreas Programme, told CNN Tuesday.

President Yoon Suk Yeol has recently been responding to efforts from the country’s Democratic Party, which has called for the impeachment of a number of prosecutors, Nilsson-Wright said.

“It’s not unknown for these sorts of back-and-forths to take place, but for him to escalate in this way is really, frankly, bizarre,” Nilsson-Wright continued.

People in Seoul seem “mystified” by what the president’s announcement means, the scholar said.

“I would say at this point, all we can say is that this is an enormous overreaction by the president to say the very least. What he’s trying to do in going after the opposition in these unqualified ways — calling them effectively aligned with North Korea — is, just as I say, unprecedented,” he added.

Soldiers advance to the main building of the National Assembly after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law.

Members of South Korea’s parliament appear to have clashed with authorities outside the National Assembly members’ building, as lawmakers scramble to block the president’s introduction of martial law.

Television footage showed troops attempting to enter the main hall of the National Assembly in Seoul, Reuters reported.

Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the opposition Democratic Party, had previously ordered his lawmakers to the National Assembly as he attempts to block the decree.

South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in a surprise address late Tuesday night local time.

A crowd gathered at the country’s National Assembly, with people trying to enter and soldiers holding them back.

Soldiers prepare to enter the main hall of the National Assembly in Seoul following President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law.

Police attempt to hold back people trying to enter the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, on December 3, after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law.

Helicopters fly after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law.

Police stand guard in front of the main gate of the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea, on December 3, after South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law.

People watch a TV screen showing South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's televised briefing at a bus terminal in Seoul, South Korea, on December 3.

Citizens of Seoul are rushing to be with their family members after martial law was declared across South Korea, CNN’s Mike Valerio has witnessed.

People are being told by law enforcement that they can be arrested without warrants being needed, Valerio reported.

This is the first time that martial law has been declared in the country since it was ruled by a military dictatorship in the 1980s.

“There are whole multitudes of people across (Seoul) who are stunned and are trying to figure out how an unpopular president made this move, what is going to happen next, and what this means for a democracy here in South Korea,” he said.

South Koreans working in the media and in politics are in utter disarray following the President Yoon Suk Yeol’s late-night decision to impose martial law on the country, a leading South Korean journalist has said.

Choi said it seems as though Yoon “hadn’t informed a lot of people even inside his circle” before making his announcement shortly before midnight on Tuesday.

“There’s a lot of confusion going on,” he said.

US President Joe Biden’s administration is in contact with the government of South Korea, a close ally of the US, after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on Tuesday, a National Security Council spokesperson tells CNN.

“The administration is in contact with the ROK government and is monitoring the situation closely,” the spokesperson said.

South Korean ruling People Power Party's leader Han Dong-hoon speaks at a press conference following the 22nd parliamentary election day in Seoul, South Korea, on April 11.

The chief of the South Korean president’s own political party has condemned the introduction of martial law.

Han Dong-hoon, who previously served as President Yoon Suk Yeol’s justice minister, said the move is “wrong” and he would “block it” together with rival lawmakers, according to Yonhap News Agency.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a speech to declare martial law in Seoul, South Korea, on December 3.

Yoon Suk Yeol, representing the conservative People Power Party, has been president since 2022.

He was elected by a razor-thin margin, pulling ahead of rival Lee Jae-myung – a member of the Democratic Party – by less than one percentage point.

Yoon was a newcomer to politics, having spent the previous 27 years of his career as a prosecutor.

Here’s a primer on his platform and policies:

Hardline on North Korea: Whereas his predecessor, Moon Jae-in, favored dialogue with Pyongyang, Yoon took a tougher stance. He promised to bulk up South Korea’s military, even hinting he would launch a preemptive strike if he saw signs of an offensive launch against Seoul.

US-China tightrope: South Korea has been placed in the unenviable position of having strong ties with two feuding global superpowers: the United States and China.

While Lee suggested he would try to balance both partnerships, Yoon made clear which he would prioritize.

“South Korea and the United States share an alliance forged in blood as we have fought together to protect freedom against the tyranny of communism,” Yoon said during his election campaign.

Since Donald Trump won election to his second term last month, South Korea’s presidential office told CNN that Yoon had began “practicing golf again for the first time in eight years, in preparation for ‘golf diplomacy’” with the president-elect.

Problems at home: Yoon inherited a country still wracked by the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as corruption polarized politics – and gender equality.

South Korea’s gender war intensified in the run-up to the election, with young voters increasingly split along gender lines.

Facing a hypercompetitive job market and skyrocketing housing prices, so-called “anti-feminists” claimed the country’s bid to address gender inequality had tipped too far in women’s favor.

Feminists, meanwhile, pointed to the country’s widespread sexual violence, entrenched gender expectations and low female representation in boardrooms and in politics as examples of how discrimination against women is still rife.

People watch a TV screen showing South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's televised briefing at a bus terminal in Seoul, South Korea, on December 3.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in an unannounced late-night TV address, accusing the country’s main opposition party of sympathizing with North Korea and anti-state activities.

Yoon did not say what measures would be taken. He cited a motion by the opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in parliament, to impeach top prosecutors and reject a government budget proposal.

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