President Yoon Suk-yeol's announcement sparked a night of urgency in Seoul as lawmakers, troops, and protesters raced to parliament.

The opposition-controlled parliament overturned the the martial law edict, and his rivals on Wednesday took steps to impeach him.

South Korea's opposition parties moved Wednesday to impeach the president over the shocking and short-lived declaration of martial law that drew heavily armed troops to encircle parliament before lawmakers climbed walls to reenter the building and unanimously voted to lift his order.