South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol backtracked on his shortlived decree in the early hours of Wednesday local time and withdrew the troops deployed to carry out the order. South Korean lawmakers are now calling for resignations.

Under South Korean law, martial law can be lifted with a majority vote in the parliament, where the opposition Democratic Party holds a majority. When “the National Assembly requests the lifting of martial law, the President shall, without delay, do so and announce it,” the law states.

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik declared the martial law declaration “invalid,” with parliament standing firm in its promise to “protect democracy with the people.” The military presence was withdrawn around 4:30 a.

The decree, which brought temporary military control and the suspension of civilian government activities and civil liberties, marked South Korea's first declaration of martial la

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on Tuesday in an unannounced late night TV address in which he accused opposition parties of sympathizing with North Korea and controlling parliament.

Yoon Suk Yeol announced the measure in an surprise late night TV address.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared an “emergency martial law,” Tuesday accusing the country’s opposition of controlling the parliament, sympathizing with North Korea and paralyzing the government with anti-state activities.