President South Korea, Yoon Seok YoHe stated that he was going to start lift the declaration of martial law which he introduced a few hours ago in deference to the parliamentary vote against the measure.

Yoon declared martial law on Tuesday. prevent the “anti-state forces” of their opponents.

But lawmakers rejected the order as protesters gathered outside parliament during the country’s biggest political crisis in decades.

Yun’s surprise statement, aimed at his political opponents, was unanimously rejected by 190 lawmakers in parliament.

Under South Korean law, the president must immediately lift martial law if parliament requests it by a majority vote.

Speaker of Parliament and even Yoon’s party leader Han Dong-hoon, who has clashed with the president over his handling of recent scandals, strongly opposed Yoon’s statement, which they saw as aimed at his political enemies.

Television footage showed troops apparently tasked with enforcing martial law attempting to enter the assembly building as parliamentary aides tried to push back soldiers by spraying fire extinguishers.

Yun accused on television that opposition parties had taken the parliamentary process hostage. He vowed to root out “shameless pro-North Korean anti-state forces” and said he had no choice but to take action to protect constitutional order.

Shortly after Yun made this statement, people began to gather outside the Diet building, some of them shouting: “Remove the martial law!”

“Arrest Yoon Seok Yeol,” others shouted.

South Korea had several authoritarian leaders early in its history, but has been considered a democratic country since the 1980s (Reuters).