Han Kang, this year's Nobel Prize laureate in literature, said South Korea's political turmoil following President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law declaration is "not that awful," highlighting the courage and sincerity of citizens who have mobilized in response.

In the uncertain hours early Wednesday, many recalled the nation’s last martial law, which came after a coup installed a military dictator and triggered a deadly uprising.

I immediately thought of 1980, and the fear and desperation we felt,” said a 60-year-old lawmaker who lived through the massacre of protesters in Gwangju.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday angrily defended his shock decision to declare martial law last week and signaled he would not resign from office.

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."

South Korea's president has defended his martial law decree as an act of governance and denied rebellion charges, vowing to "fight to the end" in response to attempts to impeach him and intensifying investigations into last week's dramatic move.

I will fight to the end,” Mr Yoon declared in a televised address, “to prevent the forces and criminal groups that have been responsible for paralysing the country’s gove