Kim Ene-sol, a 30-year-old restaurant worker, said she was “overwhelmed by a sense of dread” when she heard the news.
“I thought I must stop this, even if I have to put my life at risk,” she said.
In announcing martial law, the president had labelled the opposition, which holds a majority in the 300-member parliament “anti-state forces intent on overthrowing the regime”.
One opposition lawmaker told AFP he had rushed to the parliament in a cab to vote against the move – and had feared he’d be arrested under the law’s sweeping new powers.
“Yoon has committed rebellion with martial law declaration,” Shin Chang-sik said.
Policemen stood their ground within the parliament premises – ready to apprehend anyone attempting to climb over the fence.
Shin said that some of his fellow lawmakers had been forced to climb over the fence to vote on the resolution because the entrance had been sealed off.
That resolution ultimately succeeded, forcing Yoon to say he would lift martial law – prompting the crowd to erupt in cheers as the news broke.
But the celebration was tempered by disbelief that it had taken place at all.
Lim Myeong-pan, 55, said that Yoon’s decision to rescind martial law did not absolve him of wrongdoing.
“Yoon’s act of imposing it in the first place without legitimate cause is a serious crime in itself,” Lim said.
“He has paved his own path to impeachment with this.”
