Martial law troops begin withdrawing from parliament building after lawmakers block decree

 

Soldiers leave the National Assembly in Seoul after South Korea's parliament passed a motion requiring the martial law declared by President Yoon Suk Yeol to be lifted in the early hours of December 4. 

Yonhap News Agency via Reuters

Just past 1 a.m. local time in Seoul, after lawmakers unanimously voted to block the president’s martial law decree, dozens of troops that had entered the main parliamentary building began to withdraw, according to Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo.

Local television stations also showed troops withdrawing from the building.

Some forces are still waiting within the National Assembly grounds, though some appear to have set down their gear, Chosun Ilbo reported.

Citizens waiting outside the building cheered when news came of the lawmakers’ vote, according to Chosun Ilbo — with some shouting, “Long live the Republic of Korea!” and “Yoon Suk-yeol, step down!”

Key context: One hundred and ninety lawmakers voted to overturn the measure. It’s unclear what effect the vote will have on the martial law declaration. Under South Korean law, the president is obliged to comply with the vote.