Hello and welcome to NewsHour. It's coming to you live from the BBC World Service Studios in London. I'm Tim Franks.

It's six in the morning in the South Korean capital's Seoul and it has been quite the night.

It all began at 1045 in the evening with a surprise appearance on TV by the President Yun Sung-Nuel to declare martial law.

Dear citizens, I hereby declare martial law to protect the Republic of Korea from the threats posed by North Korean communist forces.

To eradicate in one sweep the shameless pro-north anti-state forces that are plundering the freedom

and happiness of our people and to safeguard the constitutional order of freedom.

And that sudden announcement of the imposition of martial law precipitated the most remarkable constitutional standoff between president and parliament.

And the president, just an hour or so, before we came on air, appeared to be the one to blink and back down.

This is what Mr. Yun had to say on TV.

Dear citizens, last night to start at 11 p.m. I declared martial law with firm resolve to save

the nation in order to counter anti-state forces seeking to paralyze the essential functions of the state

and dismantle the constitutional order of liberal democracy.

However, just a short while ago, the National Assembly demanded the lifting of martial law,

and I have ordered the martial law command forces to be withdrawn.

Through a cabinet meeting, I will immediately accept the National Assembly's request and lift martial law.

So that was just after half-past four in the morning, South Korea time.

Let's whisk you back to earlier in the night.

Swiftly, after the President's initial declaration,

the focus switched to the seat of Parliament, the National Assembly.

That was the thick clatter of military helicopters

over the Assembly building,

while at ground level a large number of protesters gathered,

...