1. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on Tuesday evening, aiming to eliminate "anti-state" forces and combat alleged opposition sympathies with North Korea.

2. Hours later, South Korea's parliament voted unanimously to lift the martial law, with the National Assembly Speaker calling for the withdrawal of police and military forces.

3. President Yoon's declaration sparked immediate criticism, with opposition leaders and even members of his own party calling it a return to authoritarianism and an unconstitutional act.

4. Following the declaration, the military suspended political gatherings and demanded striking doctors return to work, threatening arrests for violations.

5. This was the first martial law declaration since South Korea's democratization in 1987, marking a sharp escalation in tensions between the president and the opposition-controlled parliament.

President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law late Tuesday in order to eliminate “anti-state” forces as he is reportedly struggling against an opposition that controls the country's parliament.

He also accused that the opposition of sympathising with communist North Korea.

A statement by martial law commander Park An-su said, "All political activities are banned in South Korea following the imposition of martial law on Tuesday and all media will be subject to government monitoring.

All political activities, including those of the national assembly, local councils, political parties, and political associations, as well as assemblies and demonstrations, are strictly prohibited.

All media and publications shall be subject to the control of the martial law command."

(With The Guardian inputs)

A BBC report from Seoul said that several protesters have gathered around Parliament and they can be heard shouting “no to martial law”, "strike down dictatorship" and "open the gate" amid the sound of sirens in the capital.

Dozens of police patrol cars and riot police buses have assembled near the Parliament.

In a statement on Tuesday, China’s embassy in Seoul warned its citizens to exercise “caution” after the imposition of martial law in South Korea.

The embassy advised “Chinese nationals in South Korea to remain calm, monitor developments in South Korea’s political situation, enhance safety awareness, limit unnecessary outings, exercise caution when expressing political opinions.”

- The Guardian

United Kingdom Prime minister Keir Starmer’s deputy spokesperson has reportedlysaid that their government is “closely monitoring" the developments in South Korea.

“We would advise all British nationals to monitor the UK’s travel advice for updates and follow the advice of local authorities,” the spokesperson reportedly said.

In a series of posts on microblogging site X, Yejin Gim wrote that President Yoon's declaration of emergency martial law today is the first one since 1979, which was followed by the Gwangju Uprising the following year. President Yoon has ordered a complete shutdown of the National Assembly.

Gim further explained, "Under the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, the president has the authority to declare martial law and prescribes its scope, rights, procedures, and duties of martial law commander through the Martial Law Act. The first martial law was declared on October 21, 1948."

"It was following the Yeosu-Suncheon Incident. Since then, it has been misused as a means to seize and maintain power by dictatorial regimes. There were 12 emergency martial law declarations from 1948 to 1979, all under the dictatorship. Today, Yoon declared the country's 13th," she added.

The National Assembly speaker has just said that South Korean troops are leaving the parliament building, the Yonhap news agency reports.

Soldiers had entered the building shortly after the president's declaration of martial law.

- BBC

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 President should immediately lift the emergency martial law following the voting by the National Assembly. Now, emergency martial law declaration is invalid,” said Woo Won-sik, the chairman of the National Assembly.

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

- CNN

The leader of Yoon's conservative People Power Party, Han Dong-hoon, called the decision to impose martial law “wrong” and vowed to “stop it with the people”. Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, called Yoon's announcement “illegal and unconstitutional”.

Yoon said during a televised speech that martial law would help “rebuild and protect” the country from “falling into the depths of national ruin”. He said he would “eradicate pro-North Korean forces and protect the constitutional democratic order”.

“I will eliminate anti-state forces as quickly as possible and normalise the country,” he said, while asking the people to believe in him and tolerate “some inconveniences”.

The South Korean military said that the country's striking doctors should return to work within 48 hours, according to Yonhap news agency.

Thousands of doctors have been striking for months over government plans to expand the number of students at medical schools.

The military said anyone who violates the decree could be arrested without a warrant.

Yoon Seok Yeol, a former prosecutor, joined politics in 2021 and rose to the post of President by 2022. As leader of the conservative People Power Party, Yoon and his policies have managed to push away any chance of unification between the two Koreas.

Known for his hawkish stance on North Korea and a "no-compromise approach", Yoon is also one of the most unpopular president's in South Korean history due to various scandals attached to him.

One of the major scandals to hit Yoon was that of influence-peddling involving his wife, first lady Kim Keon Hee.

The allegation was that the president and first lady had influenced members of the PPP to ensure Yoon's selection as a presidential candidate.

While Yoon denied any involvement, his approval rating took a hit and fell below 20 percent.

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Shortly after 1 am(GMT+9) in Seoul, after lawmakers voted unanimously to block the president’s martial law order, dozens of soldiers who had entered the main parliament building started to leave, according to the Chosun Ilbo newspaper.

Local TV stations also showed the troops leaving the building.

Some soldiers are still waiting on the National Assembly grounds, though it seems some have put down their equipment, the report added.

Reportedly, the citizens who were waiting outside the building cheered when Parliament's vote came in, many shouted “Long live the Republic of Korea!” and “Yoon Suk-yeol, step down!”