A screen at the Seoul Station shows President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law on Tuesday evening. Yonhap

President Yoon Suk Yeol lifted martial law, Wednesday, about six hours after he declared it, responding to the National Assembly's unanimous resolution to revoke the law.

He announced the decision at approximately 4:20 a.m., about three and a half hours after the Assembly passed the motion.

"Last night, I declared emergency martial law with a resolute determination to save the nation in response to anti-state forces seeking to paralyze the essential functions of the state and undermine the constitutional order of liberal democracy. However, following the National Assembly's demand for lifting martial law a short while ago, I have withdrawn military forces deployed for martial law operations," Yoon said in the address.

Yet, the president urged the Assembly "to immediately cease reckless acts such as repeated impeachments, legislative manipulations and budgetary disruptions that are paralyzing the functions of the state."

He was referring to the opposition-led Assembly's repeated moves to impeach ranking government officials and push to cut budget for "essential state functions" — which he called "anti-state forces" when he declared martial law.

Citizens urge the revocation of martial law declared by President Yoon Suk Yeol in front of the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

About 30 minutes after Yoon's address, a Cabinet meeting was convened and approved the revocation of martial law — a procedure to lift martial law according to the relevant law.

On late Tuesday evening, Yoon shocked the entire country by declaring martial law, citing the need to "eradicate anti-state forces" as the justification for imposing emergency martial law.

Upon the declaration, lawmakers of both the ruling and opposition parties convened an emergency plenary session at the Assembly in the early hours of Wednesday, unanimously passing a motion demanding the lifting of martial law, with all 190 present members voting in favor.