South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on Tuesday night, but backtracked hours after lawmakers defied security forces to vote against his declaration and thousands of protesters took to the streets

Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law in a dramatic, late-night television address to the nation on Tuesday, citing "threats" from North Korea 

It was the first time since 1980 that it had been declared in the East Asian country

President Yoon said, "To safeguard a liberal South Korea from the threats posed by North Korea's communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements plundering people's freedom and happiness, I hereby declare emergency martial law

President Yoon, however, withdrew martial law within six hours of announcing it. "Just a moment ago, there was a demand from the National Assembly to lift the state of emergency, and we have withdrawn the military that was deployed for martial law operations"

The Democratic Party demanded that 63-year-old Yoon - who was elected president in 2022 - step down immediately over the attempted "insurrection"

The United States, which stations nearly 30,000 troops in South Korea to protect it from the nuclear-armed North, initially said it was watching events with "grave concern" and then said that it was "relieved" that President Yoon has reversed his "concerning" declaration of martial law

The imposition of martial law came after Yoon's approval rating dropped recently, with many expressing dissatisfactions over his handling of the economy and controversies involving his wife, Kim Keon Hee