On Wednesday, troops were observed attempting to enter the South Korean parliament following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s unexpected declaration of martial law during a late-night television address that criticized domestic political adversaries and sent shockwaves across the nation.

Live broadcasts captured soldiers seemingly assigned to enforce martial law trying to access the assembly building, while parliamentary aides were seen using fire extinguishers in an effort to repel them.

In his address on Tuesday night, Yoon accused opposition parties of holding the parliamentary process hostage. He pledged to eliminate “shameless pro-North Korean anti-state forces” and asserted that he had no alternative but to implement martial law to protect constitutional order.

Following Yoon’s announcement, crowds began to gather outside the parliament, with some demonstrators chanting: “Withdraw emergency martial law!”

The military announced that parliamentary activities and political party functions would be prohibited, and that media outlets and publishers would fall under the jurisdiction of the martial law command. Yoon did not mention any specific threats from the nuclear-capable North, instead directing his focus toward his domestic political rivals. This marks the first declaration of martial law in South Korea since 1980.

Historically, South Korea has experienced a number of authoritarian regimes but has been recognized as a democracy since the 1980s.

The Korean won experienced a significant decline against the U.S. dollar, prompting a central bank official to indicate preparations for potential market stabilization measures. Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok has called for an emergency meeting with senior economic officials, according to a spokesperson’s text message.

Yoon’s predecessor, Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party, expressed concerns about the state of democracy in a post on X, stating, “I hope that the National Assembly will act quickly to protect our democracy from crumbling.” He urged the public to unite in defense of democracy and to support the normal functioning of the National Assembly.

The White House spokesperson stated that the United States is in communication with the South Korean government and is closely observing the situation. Approximately 28,500 U.S. troops are deployed in South Korea to provide defense against North Korea. However, a representative from the U.S. military command did not respond to multiple phone inquiries.