South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has agreed to end his martial law decree just hours after its implementation.

The president’s hand was forced after 190 lawmakers managed to hold an emergency vote on the floor of the National Assembly in Seoul, where they unanimously overturned the decision.

Under the South Korean Constitution, Yoon is bound to honor the vote and end the decree.

“I will immediately convene a Cabinet meeting to accept the National Assembly’s request and end martial law,” Yoon said in a video address in the early hours of Wednesday morning, according to translations.

Yoon demanded that opposition parties “immediately stop the reckless acts of paralyzing the functions of the state” — his stated purpose in imposing martial law.

The reversal will reportedly be made when his Cabinet is brought to quorum.

It marks the end of a surprising and short-lived episode in South Korean politics after the president took the extraordinary step to pursue the arrest of his opposition rivals, citing national security concerns.

Yoon justified his martial law decree as a move “to protect the free Republic of Korea from the threat of North Korean communist forces, to eradicate the despicable pro-North Korean, anti-state forces that are plundering the freedom and happiness of our people, and to protect the free constitutional order.”

Despite references to threats from North Korea, the president made no further connections between his left-wing rivals and Kim Jong Un’s regime, focusing his efforts on military control of South Korea’s politics, media, and law enforcement.

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The declaration caused immediate unrest as protesters flocked to the National Assembly building and clashed with police who were ordered to keep civilians and lawmakers out.

The unanimous vote to terminate martial law was conducted despite Yoon’s attempt to block the parliamentary response.