Media reports say South Korea’s president said he would lift a martial law declaration he had imposed just hours before, honoring a parliamentary vote against the measure.
President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on Tuesday to thwart “antistate forces” among his opponents. However, lawmakers rejected the declaration, as protesters gathered outside parliament in the country’s biggest political crisis in decades.
“In light of the National Assembly’s demand to lift martial law, I ordered the withdrawal of military forces involved in martial law operations,” Yoon said in a televised address, according to Al Jazeera. “Through an immediate cabinet meeting, we will accept the National Assembly’s request and proceed to revoke martial law.”
Early Wednesday morning, the cabinet reportedly agreed to reverse the decision and lift martial law.
Yoon’s surprise declaration, which he cast as aimed at his political foes, was unanimously voted down by 190 lawmakers in the parliament.
Under South Korean law, the president must immediately lift martial law if parliament demands it by a majority vote. His own party urged him to lift the decree.
Nevertheless, Yoon called on parliament to immediately “cease repeated acts of impeachment, legislative obstruction, and other reckless actions that paralyze the government,” said Al Jazeera.
