On December 3 (Korea Standard Time), President Yoon Suk-yeol unexpectedly declared a state of emergency martial law. However, in the early hours of December 4, the National Assembly held a plenary session to pass a resolution demanding the revocation of martial law, rendering the declaration invalid.

At approximately 10:30 p.m. on December 3, President Yoon announced in an emergency address from the Yongsan Presidential Office, "To eradicate pro-North forces and protect the constitutional order of freedom, I am declaring emergency martial law."

He stated, "Through this martial law, I will rebuild and safeguard the Republic of Korea, which is currently spiraling into ruin. To achieve this, I will eliminate the root causes of national collapse and the anti-state forces that have committed destructive acts thus far."

He emphasized that "this is an unavoidable measure to guarantee the people's freedom, safety, and the nation’s sustainability from the provocations of anti-state forces aiming to overthrow the system. I will work to eradicate these forces as quickly as possible and normalize the state. While I acknowledge that martial law may cause some inconvenience to the law-abiding citizens who uphold the constitutional values of the Republic of Korea, minimizing such disruptions will be my priority."

President Yoon described the move as "inevitable for the preservation of the Republic of Korea's longevity," adding, "This does not alter our foreign policy stance of fulfilling responsibilities and making contributions to the international community."

In a heartfelt appeal, he said, "As president, I earnestly ask for the trust of the people. I will dedicate myself fully to protecting the Republic of Korea. Trust me."

President Yoon also criticized the National Assembly, stating, "Since the inception of our government, the Assembly has introduced 22 impeachment motions against government officials. Since the 22nd Assembly began last June, they have pushed for the impeachment of 10 officials."

"This is unprecedented in any country worldwide and in the history of our nation. The impeachment of judges, intimidation of prosecutors, the paralysis of the judiciary, and attempts to impeach the ministers of Interior and Safety, the chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, the auditor general, and the defense minister have also rendered the executive branch dysfunctional," he said.

Yoon accused the National Assembly of undermining critical government functions and compromising national safety by slashing essential budgets, stating, "They have reduced next year's disaster response reserve fund by 1 trillion won, child support payments by 38.4 billion won, and key youth job creation initiatives by 410 billion won. Even funding for salary and allowance increases for junior military officers was obstructed."

"Such reckless budget cuts are a blatant disregard for the nation's fiscal integrity," he said. "By weaponizing the budget for political warfare, the Democratic Party's legislative dictatorship even attempted budget-related impeachments."

Yoon warned, "National governance is paralyzed, and public frustration is growing. This is an outright anti-state act, trampling the constitutional order of the Republic of Korea, disrupting legitimate state institutions, and conspiring for insurrection."

He accused the National Assembly of becoming "a den of criminals, paralyzing the judicial and administrative systems and attempting to overthrow the liberal democratic system through legislative dictatorship."

"The Assembly, which should uphold liberal democracy, has become a monster undermining it. South Korea stands on the brink, at a critical juncture where its collapse would not be surprising," Yoon stressed.

However, the National Assembly convened a plenary session early on December 4 and passed a resolution demanding the revocation of martial law.

The resolution passed unanimously with 190 lawmakers present. It included 18 lawmakers from the ruling People Power Party aligned with the pro-Han Dong-hoon faction and 172 opposition lawmakers.

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik declared, "In accordance with the Assembly's resolution, the president must immediately revoke martial law. Martial law is now null and void. Citizens can rest assured that the Assembly stands with the people to protect democracy."

Nevertheless, lawmakers are awaiting the formal revocation of martial law while remaining in the plenary session hall.