South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol imposed "emergency martial law" on Tuesday, accusing the opposition of dominating the parliament, sympathizing with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and crippling the administration through anti-state acts.

The parliament speaker called the martial law notification unconstitutional, and parliamentarians voted early Wednesday to reject it. A few hours later, Yoon backtracked on his decision and said he would repeal it. However, Yoon continued to criticize parliament’s attempts to impeach key government officials and senior prosecutors and lawmakers’ “unscrupulous acts of legislative and budgetary manipulation that are paralyzing the functions of the state.”

The helmeted military was seen on TV during the night, reportedly entrusted with implementing martial law, attempting to enter the assembly building, as legislative aides used fire extinguishers to drive them back.

Yoon made the declaration during a televised conference, promising to "eradicate pro-DPRK forces and protect the constitutional democratic order."

It was unclear how Yoon's actions would have affected the country's government and democracy. Politicians, including the head of his own conservative party, Han Dong-hoon, immediately opposed the action, calling it "wrong" and vowing to "stop it with the people."

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Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, described Yoon's declaration as "illegal and unconstitutional."

"Through this martial law, I will rebuild and protect the free Republic of Korea, which is falling into the depths of national ruin," Yoon said in a televised speech, referring to South Korea by its formal name, and vowing to "eliminate" all anti-state actors. 

He urged the people to accept some "inconveniences" and have faith in him.

Shortly after Yoon delivered his declaration on live television, people began gathering outside the parliament building, some yelling, "Withdraw emergency martial law!" and others called for his arrest.

Yoon did not mention a particular danger from the nuclear-armed North during his speech, instead focused on his domestic political opponents. South Korea has imposed martial law for the first time since 1980.

Yoon's conservative People Power Party and the liberal opposition Democratic Party have reached a stalemate on next year's budget bill. The opposition has also attempted to impeach three top prosecutors, including the chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, in what conservatives have described as a vendetta against their criminal investigations into Lee, who is widely regarded as the front-runner in the next presidential election in 2027.

The president also dismissed requests for independent probes into incidents involving his wife and high officials, prompting sharp criticism from his political enemies.