South Korean protesters demand President Yoon step down

South Korean protesters marched towards the presidential office in Seoul Wednesday, live footage showed, demanding President Yoon Suk Yeol step down after a short-lived declaration of martial law plunged the country into political chaos.

Live feed video showed thousands of rally participants marching towards Yoon's office in central Seoul after staging a rally in Gwanghwamun Square. A separate rally held by opposition parties was also underway at the National Assembly.

On Tuesday, the South Korean President declared emergency martial law in an unannounced broadcast. However, it was lifted hours later as 190 of the National Assembly's 300 members defied police and military cordons to vote against the declaration, which Yoon then promised to lift.

Yoon said the declaration was intended to "protect the free Republic of Korea from the threat of North Korean communist forces, to eradicate the despicable pro-North Korean anti-state forces that are plundering the freedom and happiness of our people, and to protect the free constitutional order".

Besides banning political activity and restricting the media, the martial law decree also ordered striking doctors back to work. Those who violate martial law could be arrested without a warrant, the decree said.

Thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the parliament where there were minor clashes with police and military. Lawmakers gathered to vote against martial law, as both opposition lawmakers and leaders of Yoon's own party decried it as unconstitutional.