[News Today] YOON LIFTS MARTIAL LAW

[LEAD]
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law during a non-scheduled televised address last night. It lasted around three and a half hours as the parliment quickly ran through an emergency vote to remove it, to which the President accepted and lifted the martial law order. This afternoon, the whole cabinet submitted their resignations to the Prime Minister.

[REPORT]
President Yoon Suk Yeol announced he is lifting martial law three and a half hours after a resolution demanding such a move passed in parliament.

He said he accepted the parliament's demand and ordered the withdrawal of troops.

Right after the president's address, the Cabinet approved the lifting of martial law.

Yoon did not offer any particular apology.

But he called on parliament to immediately stop actions that paralyze the state's function, such as impeachments and a reckless budget cut.

He reiterated that martial law was declared to protect the country against anti-state forces seeking to destroy the free democratic constitutional order.

Most presidential aides were reportedly not aware of the surprise declaration up until the announcement was made Tuesday night.

As a result, those who went home had to later return to the presidential office.

Yoon is known to have kept the matter under wraps, not even sharing it with his top aides beforehand.