In an unexpected turn of events military forces surrounded South Koreas parliament building early wednesday morning after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial-law: he pointed to alleged pro-North Korean groups trying to damage the democratic system
The parliament members quickly organized an emergency meeting (while being surrounded by troops) to address this first martial-law declaration since the nations previous military-controlled government about four decades ago. The fast-moving developments caused wide-spread uncertainty among citizens who woke up to this news
The late-night declaration sparked immediate push-back from law-makers who gathered despite the military presence — their main goal was to stop this decree. During an early-morning session they managed to pass a counter-vote that would end the presidents order. The whole situation reminded many citizens of the countrys non-democratic past when such declarations were common
The military presence around the parliament building created an atmosphere of unease; soldiers blocked main roads while confused citizens tried to understand whats happening. This event showed how quick political changes can happen even in todays stable democratic system