South Korea’s Yoon says he will drop martial law order

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South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has signalled he intends to back down from his threat to impose martial law, hours after triggering a political crisis in the east Asian country.

Yoon, a hardline former chief prosecutor, said early on Wednesday morning that he would lift the “emergency” martial law that he had announced on Tuesday night in order to “eliminate anti-state forces as quickly as possible and normalise the country”.

The president’s decree was rejected unanimously by members of South Korea’s national assembly.

Yoon said troops deployed to enforce martial law had been withdrawn and the state of military rule would be lifted formally by his cabinet “as soon as members arrive”.

This is a developing story