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According to Korean constitutional law, if martial law is declared in a state of non-war, the National Assembly can vote to make the president stand it down. The National Assembly is gathering now. We are just now getting footage of inside the National Assembly.

I am watching MBC. The Speaker of the National Assembly (Woo Won-shik) just emphasized that there are procedural rules to follow and they will follow them.

There are 150 National Assembly members currently gathered. There should be 300 members in all. The current National Assembly is majority opposition (155). The Korean president is conservative.

They are now playing footage from the inside where soldiers are trying to enter the main assembly hall. The opposition (Democratic Party) aides are shown to barricading the doors. Live footage of the main assembly hall shows no soldiers.

Democratic Party aides are shown spraying fire extinguishers at the infiltrating army to keep them back. I just want to add that I am a South Korean citizen and Seoul resident and I am *extremely* proud of South Korean democracy and this president has violated something I hold sacrosanct

Speaker Woo is calming everyone down—he has expressed his disapproval of this martial law declaration, but that they need to follow procedure. An off-screen National Assembly member added that the whole world is watching through live TV and they need to stay calm and carry out the letter of the law.

"The agenda item has to be declared first"—not sure why it is not being declared. Most of the aides are gathered at or near the main entrance. They have barricaded the doors. The military has dispatched the airborne infantry to the National Assembly (I can't believe I just typed that).

The fact that the MILITARY is INSIDE the NATIONAL ASSEMBLY The National Assembly aides were summoned to the National Assembly immediately after the declaration, which means there are quite a few of them in there, our last line of defense of our democracy

Footage of the military breaking the windows of the National Assembly to enter the building Deploying our military IN OUR OWN COUNTRY against OUR LEGISLATURE against the people that WE ELECTED

Ministry of Education has decided not to close the schools (massive eyeroll)

AGENDA ITEM DECLARED... now they vote

190 present, 190 voted to DEMAND END TO MARTIAL LAW DECLARATION

CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA, 77(5): "When the National Assembly requests the lifting of martial law with the concurrent vote of a majority of the total members of the National Assembly, the President shall comply." elaw.klri.re.kr/eng_service/...

Office of the Speaker of the National Assembly declares martial law declaration invalid 2h48m after declaration Helicopters seen moving toward National Assembly, crowds outside chanting "IMPEACH THE PRESIDENT"

Aides, National Assembly members, workers still barricaded in the hall right in front of the National Assembly doors. Footage from inside does not show soldiers. The government has obviously not ordered them to stand down.

MBC reporter just reported army is beginning to retreat!

They can't confirm if it's a full retreat—some of the soldiers are leaving outside. Speaker has demanded the military that has entered the National Assembly to leave immediately.

National Assembly member and SNU constitutional law scholar Cho Kuk is making a statement to the press using strong words—the president needs to stand down the declaration IMMEDIATELY, to ignore this is tantamount to a military rebellion, the declaration ITSELF was illegal and he must answer for it

—that there is no telling what the president will do, that the president MUST BE IMPEACHED, that the Korean police authority must ARREST the president, that we do not know what impact, what SHOCK this has sent to the Korean people and to our society—he MUST BE IMPEACHED (emphasized 2nd time)

MBC reporter cannot see any army beyond the barricade (the barricaded doors themselves are glass and she can't see anyone outside them). Unconfirmed reports that the army has left the National Assembly main building.