South Korean troops take over parliament after surprise martial law announcement
South Korean president enforces sudden martial-law citing North Korean threats. Parliament members gather for emergency vote while military forces surround the building
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
