Reactions to the South Korean crisis

Angry residents flock outside parliament: "Arrest the president!"

Protesters stay outside the parliament in Seoul while politicians inside use tables and sofas to block doors and prevent the military from entering, writes Sky News.

"Grab Yoon Suk Yeol!" chanted the crowd according to Reuters.

Jang Kyung-jin, 60, took the car and drove to parliament after watching the president's martial law speech earlier on Tuesday.

- The president has exercised his power with violence and the people have come out to protest against it. We have to remove him from power, says Jang Kyung-jin according to the Washington Post.

Kang Won-taek, a professor of political science at Seoul National University, does not believe that the anger among residents will be calmed any time soon.

- We will see people take to the streets tomorrow. How will the military be able to stop them? By shooting them? It is unlikely, he says.

Expert: A propaganda gift to the North Koreans

South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol likely imposed martial law to strengthen his weak political position. That is what South Korea researcher Gabriel Jonsson at Stockholm University tells DN.

- This is absolutely bad for democracy, it should not happen in a democracy.

According to Jonsson, there is no evidence that the opposition, which has aroused several distrusts of Yoon and stopped his policies, sympathizes with North Korea.

Tuesday's crisis in South Korea is a "serious moment for East Asia," says Sky News military analyst Michael Clarke. He especially believes that the US will go into depth with what happened.

- There are usually almost 30⁠ 000 US soldiers stationed there, so the US will have a lot to say about this. And also South Korea's neighbors, such as Japan.

The crisis is also "a gift" for North Korean propaganda, he adds.

The military: Martial law will remain despite the parliament's vote

South Korea's parliament has voted to lift martial law in a vote, but the military says it will remain in place until President Yoon Suk-Yeol lifts it, South Korea's YTN reports according to the Washington Post.

Under South Korea's constitution, the president is required to lift martial law if parliament votes to do so, but no deadline is specified.

President Yoon Suk-Yeol suddenly declared martial law on Tuesday afternoon in response to what he claims are pro-North Korea communists in the opposition.

Chaotic scenes then unfolded in the capital Seoul, with a large gathering of military, police and protesters.

After the president's televised address, the military banned all political activity and took control of the media.

Former ambassador: He wants to get his budget through

The fact that South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol declared martial law may be because he wants to pass his budget. That's what Lars Vargö, Sweden's former ambassador to South Korea, told TT.

Lately, the confrontations in parliament have increased since Yoon took several steps to the right, he continues.

- Thus, the opposition has gone one or more steps to the left, and there has been a clear confrontation in parliament, which has led to Yoon having difficulty getting his state budget through.

It could also be that the president wants a new election to strengthen his position, according to Vargö.

When Yoon accuses the opposition of being pro-North Korea, he means rather that he dislikes those who are open to dialogue with the neighboring country, he adds.

Analysis: Desperate move by a tenured president

South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol is heavily employed from several quarters, writes Nicole Johnston for Sky News.

“His wife has been accused of market manipulation and of accepting a luxury handbag from a pastor. Plus, the possible trigger for all of this – a stalemate with the opposition over next year's budget.”

The drama may be over after the parliamentary vote – the ball is now in Yoon's court, Johnston continues.

Yoon has been paralyzed by action since the opposition's landslide victory in the parliamentary elections last spring, writes Jake Kwon for the BBC.

"He has not been able to get the laws he wants - instead, he has desperately vetoed all the proposals the opposition voted through."

Tuesday's events bring back painful memories of the country's authoritarian past, writes Jessie Yeung for CNN.

The Korean War was followed by decades of hardline leaders, coups and martial law – most recently imposed in 1980, in response to student and union protests. Ever since then, the country has been a modern and prosperous democracy, Yeung continues.