South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced plans to lift martial law in the country just hours after declaring it — a surprise move that had sparked a political uproar.
“I declared martial law at 11 p.m. last night with a firm will to save the country [from] anti-state forces that are trying to paralyze the essential functions of the state and destroy the constitutional order of liberal democracy,” Yoon said in a televised statement just after 4 a.m. local time.
“However, I withdrew the troops deployed for martial law affairs due to the National Assembly’s request to lift martial law a little while ago,” he said.