• Source:JND
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Within two hours after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law on Tuesday, the Korean lawmakers entered the parliament building after struggling with the soldiers and voted to declare it void, news agency Reuters reported.

President Yoon had cited the need to shield the nation from "communist forces." In a televised address on Tuesday, Yoon accused the country's main opposition party of sympathising with its arch-rival North Korea and of anti-state activities.

He also mentioned a motion by the opposition Democratic Party which aims to dismiss the government's budget proposal. Notably, DPK or the Liberal Democratic Party holds a majority in the parliament and looking to impeach top prosecutors of the Yoon administration.

Yoon stated, "To safeguard a liberal South Korea from the threats posed by North Korea’s communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements… I hereby declare emergency martial law," Yoon said in a live televised address to the nation, quoted news agency Reuters.

According to the Yonhap news agency, access to the building was blocked by security personnel at the behest of the President to prevent the lawmakers from entering. However, the parliamentarians managed to get inside after a scuffle with the armed personnel of the police and army and voted in favour of a proposal to lift the martial law, Al Jazeera reported. 

Following the passage of the motion, the speaker of the National Assembly said that the parliament would stand with the people to protect democracy. He also called upon the members of the armed forces to leave the grounds ofthe  National Assembly - the parliament of South Korea. 

US Reacts 

Reacting to the political showdown in Korea, the United States affirmed its support for a just resolution to the issue. 

“We are watching the recent developments in the ROK with grave concern,” Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea.