As protesters confronted armed soldiers outside South Korea's National Assemblyon the night of December 3, it was immediately apparent that something unexpected was taking place. No sooner had President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared on televisionto declare martial law than citizens began arriving and facing down the nation's military.

For the United States, the turmoil in South Korea is potentially disruptive to its geopolitical agenda in East Asia.

Yoon’s ill-conceived power grab has paralyzed South Korean politics, frozen its foreign policy and rattled financial markets.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol defended his decision to declare martial law in a televised address Thursday, claiming he did it to save democracy and vowing that he will "fight to the end."

President Yoon Suk Yeol listed numerous grievances against opposition lawmakers in an effort to justify his actions.

South Korean police have questioned Prime Minister and Acting President Han Duck-soo as part of an investigation into the short-lived decision this month to impose martial law, an official at his office said on Friday.

The Constitutional Court will decide whether to remove Yoon sometime in the next six months. If he is removed from office, a snap election will be called.