US 'relieved' after South Korea lifts martial law: security spokesperson

WASHINGTON - The United States felt "relieved" that the declaration of an emergency martial law was lifted in South Korea, a spokesperson for the US National Security Council (NSC) said Tuesday.

"We are relieved President Yoon (Suk-yeol of South Korea) has reversed course on his concerning declaration of martial law and respected the ROK National Assembly's vote to end it," the spokesperson said in a statement.

Following the lifting of the martial law order, the US embassy in Seoul said in an alert that despite the reversal, "the situation remains fluid." It advised US nationals in the country to "avoid areas where demonstrations are taking place".

The embassy said it would cancel routine consular appointments for US citizens and visa applicants on Wednesday.

Yoon declared the emergency martial law in a televised emergency address on Tuesday night to eradicate anti-state forces and uphold free constitutional order.

This is the first martial law declaration since the country's military dictatorship ended in the late 1980s.

However, the emergency martial law was lifted early Wednesday at an urgently convened cabinet meeting after the South Korean parliament voted against it.