South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has lifted a controversial martial law order just hours after imposing it.
Yoon declared martial law late Tuesday, claiming it was necessary to protect the nation from “North Korean threats” and “antistate elements.”
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However, the decision has faced backlash from parliament and growing public outrage.
Yoon announced the order would be revoked by 4:30am Wednesday, but the political fallout was immediate.
The opposition Democratic Party, which holds a majority in the National Assembly, called for Yoon’s resignation.
Party leader Park Chan-dae accused him of “treason” and hinted at impeachment.
Leader of a minor opposition party Cho Kuk said: “He put the country in shock and cannot be trusted to lead.”
If impeachment proceeds, Yoon could become the second South Korean president in a decade to face removal, following Park Geun-hye’s ousting in 2017.
However, the opposition holds 192 seats in the 300-seat Assembly, short of the two-thirds needed for impeachment.
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