Why South Korea president declare martial law - and wetin go happen now?

South Korea president shock di country on Tuesday night when, out of di blue, e declare martial law for di Asian democracy for di first time in nearly 50 years.

Yoon Suk Yeol drastic decision - wey e announce inside a late-night TV broadcast - mention "anti-state forces" and di threat from North Korea.

But e soon become clear say no be external threats cause am but na im own desperate political palava.

E make thousands of people to gather for parliament to protest, while opposition lawmakers rush dia to do one emergency vote to remove di measure.

Yoon go later show few hours later to accept parliament vote and lift di martial law order.

Now, lawmakers go vote on whether to impeach am over wetin di country main opposition don call im "insurrectionary behaviour".

How e happen

For im address on Tuesday night, Yoon tok about di political opposition attempt to undermine im government before e say e dey declare martial law to "crush anti-state forces wey don dey cause kasala".

Im decree temporarily put di military in charge - with troops wey wear helmets and police wey dey deployed to di National Assembly parliament building where helicopters begin land ontop di roof.

Local media also show masked troops with guns entering di building while staff try to push dem back with fire extinguishers.

Around 23:00 local time on Tuesday (14:00 GMT), di military issue decree banning protests and activity by parliament and political groups, and putting di media under government control.

But South Korean politicians immediately call Yoon declaration illegal and unconstitutional. Di leader of im own party, di conservative People's Power Party, also call Yoon act "the wrong move".

Meanwhile, di leader of di country largest opposition party, Lee Jae-myung of di liberal Democratic Party, call on im MPs to show for parliament to vote against di declaration.

E also called on ordinary South Koreans to show for parliament to protest.

"Tanks, armoured personnel carriers and soldiers with guns and knives go rule di country... My fellow citizens, please come to di National Assembly.”

Thousands answer di call, rushing to gather outside di heavily guarded parliament. Protesters begin hala: "No martial law!" and "strike down dictatorship".

Local media broadcasting from di site bin show some face-off between protesters and police for di gates. But despite di military presence, tensions no turn into violence.

And lawmakers bin dey able to make their way around di barricades - even climbing fences to make am to di voting chamber.

Shortly after 01:00 on Wednesday, South Korea parliament, with 190 of im 300 members present, vote down di measure. President Yoon declaration of martial law bin dey ruled as invalid.

Martial law meaning and im significance

Martial law na temporary rule by military authorities in a time of emergency, wen dem conclude say di civil authorities dey unable to function.

Di implementation of martial law fit get legal impacts, such as di suspension of normal civil rights and di extension of military law.

Martial law in theory, dey temporary but e fit continue indefinitely.

Di last time dem declare am for South Korea na for 1979, when di country then long-term military dictator Park Chung-hee bin dey assassinated during coup.

Dem never invoke am since the country become a parliamentary democracy for 1987.

But on Tuesday, Yoon do am, wen e tok inside national address say e dey try to save South Korea from "anti-state forces".

Yoon, wey don take a more hardline stand on North Korea dan leaders before am, describe di political opposition as North Korea sympathisers - without providing evidence.

Under martial law, di military dey get extra powers and civil rights dey dey suspended for citizens plus rule of law standards and protections.

Despite say di military announce restrictions on political activity and di media, protesters and politicians bone di orders. And no sign bin dey of government seizing control of free media - Yonhap, di national broadcaster, and other outlets bin continue to report as normal.

Why Yoon bin dey feel pressured?

Yoon Suk Yeol don be South Korea president since 2022.

E dey part of di People Power Party and win di presidential election by narrowly defeating im opponent, Lee Jae-myung, by just 0.7 percentage points. Dis na di closest election since South Korea start direct elections for 1987.

Yoon dey voted into office for May 2022 as a hardline conservative, but ever achieve much as president since April when di opposition win a landslide for di country general election.

Im government since den never dey able to pass di bills dem want and dem don dey reduced instead to vetoing bills wey di liberal opposition pass.

Im approval ratings don also fall - E dey around di lows of 17% - as e don dey for several corruption scandals dis year, including one wey involve di First Lady accepting one Dior bag, and another one around alleged stock manipulation.

Just last month, e bin dey forced to issue apology on national TV, saying e dey set up office overseeing di First Lady duties. But e reject wider investigation, wey opposition parties bin dey call for.

Den dis week, opposition tok about slashing a major government budget bill - wey dem no fit veto.

At di same time, di opposition also move to impeach cabinet members and several top prosecutors - including di head of di government audit agency - for failing to investigate di First Lady.

Wetin go happen now?

Di opposition Democratic Party don make move to impeach Yoon.

Parliament go need to vote by Saturday on whether to do am.

Di impeachment process dey straightforward for South Korea. To succeed, e go need support from more dan two-thirds of di 300-member National Assembly - at least 200 votes.

Once impeachment dey approved, trial go happen before di Constitutional Court - a nine-member council wey dey oversees South Korea branches of government.

If six of di court members vote to sustain di impeachment, di president go dey removed from office.

If e happen, e no go be di be di first time wey a South Korean president dey impeached. For 2016, dem impeach den-President Park Geun-hye after e face accuse of helping one friend commit extortion.

For 2004 another president, Roh Moo-hyun, bin dey impeached and suspended for two months. Di Constitutional Court later restore am to office.

Yoon anyhow action shock di country - wey dey see imself as a booming, modern democracy wey don come far since im dictatorship days.

Many see dis week event as di biggest challenge to dat democratic society in decades.

Experts say e fit dey more damaging to South Korea reputation as a democracy dan even di 6 January riots for US.

"Yoon declaration of martial law appear to be both a legal overreach and a political miscalculation, unnecessarily risking South Korea economy and security," one expert, Leif-Eric Easley for Ewha University for Seoul tok.

"E sound like a politician wey bin dey under siege, making a desperate move against di different scandals, institutional obstruction and di calls for impeachment, all of wey dey now more likely to increase."