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.

Yoon Suk Yeol’s decree, and his reversal under pressure from lawmakers, were the culmination of years of feuding between the country’s two main political camps.

South Korea faced a political crisis when President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, leading to massive protests and a swift reversal by the parliament. Troops surrounded the National Assembly, but lawmakers managed to convene and vote against the decree.