What next for South Korea after night of political drama and turmoil

South Koreans expressed anger and confusion on Wednesday after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law only to lift the order hours later.

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea emerged from a night of political turmoil to pro-democracy demonstrations and pronouncements but few firm answers as to what’s next after the leader of this vital American ally and the world’s 10th-largest economy made a surprise martial law declaration.

What is clear is that the declaration shocked the country of 50 million people, which spent decades under military rule but has since transitioned into a vibrant Asian democracy in a region where authoritarianism is on the rise.

The extraordinary episode will also be a test of relations with the United States, which views South Korea as an increasingly important source of support against China, North Korea and Russia. And it raised questions about the 28,500 American troops that South Korea hosts.

Here’s what we know:

Soon after President Yoon Suk Yeol’s announcement Tuesday at 10:30 p.m. local time (8:30 a.m. ET) banning political activity and censoring the media, the Ministry of Defense deployed almost 300 armed troops to the National Assembly in central Seoul, some of whom arrived by helicopter while others scaled the outer walls or crawled through broken windows.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/south-korea-night-political-drama-turmoil-rcna182770

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