Marital Law was lifted in South Korea, but what does that mean for the country and for President Yoon Suk-Yeol moving forward? We take a look at the background and the possible future outcomes.

Local Resident: I didn't know about it last night, but when I woke up this morning, the world had changed once and then changed again. I'm ashamed as a citizen.

Local Resident: It was just so sudden; I don’t really understand. It’s kind of unbelievable what happened.

Martial law had been lifted in South Korea, but the popular shopping area of Myongdong in central Seoul appears peaceful, giving the impression that it is business as usual in the city.

Speaking to locals, some said they were embarrassed, while others said they had no idea that the Martial Law order had even happened.

Yoon was apparently aiming for a comeback amid a string of allegations against himself and those around him and a slump in his approval ratings.

His party suffered a crushing defeat in the general election held in April this year, and was unable to advance any policies, including a draft budget that was being blocked by opposition parties.

There were also a series of laws being repeatedly passed to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate allegations against Yoon’s wife, the First Lady, that would then get vetoed.

Furthermore, the government has had to manage a difficult administration, with a decline in support due to a series of allegations against it and those around it.

Against this backdrop, Yoon is believed to have tried to break the deadlock with what could be described as a strong-arm approach.

However, the withdrawal of the Martial Law order was forced by unimaginable opposition, including criticism from representatives of his own party.

In response to the President’s actions, several senior officials in his administration have announced their resignations.

It’s still unknown if these resignations are meant to distance themselves from the president, or in a way to take responsibility for his actions.

In response to the uproar, the largest opposition party has mentioned that if Yoon doesn’t step down that they will begin impeachment proceedings immediately.

Impeaching the President in South Korea requires a two-thirds majority in Parliament, and while the opposition currently holds a majority of seats, they do not have a two-thirds majority.

However, the ruling party has given its support to a resolution calling for the lifting of martial law, which was passed earlier today.

Therefore, the possibility of an impeachment charge being passed is also a real possibility if the ruling party comes out in favor of impeachment moving forward.

If impeachment charges are passed, the President would be suspended from office and the Prime Minister would act in his place.