South Korea is reeling after a whiplash eight hours during which the country’s embattled president declared martial law but was forced to lift it amid widespread condemnation, throwing the country’s political landscape into chaos and uncertainty.

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

Angry South Koreans rallied against President Yoon Suk Yeol after his foiled attempt to put the country under martial law roiled a nation that’s deeply scarred by a long history of authoritarian crackdowns.