South Korea’s president has accepted the resignation offer by his defense minister, as opposition parties moved to impeach both men over the stunning yet short-lived imposition of martial law that brought armed troops into Seoul streets.

The good news is that South Koreans swiftly and firmly rejected it. The furious crowds in Seoul insisted that Mr Yoon had no right to take away their freedoms, confronting soldiers who seemed visibly uncomfortable with what they had been ordered to do.

President Yoon Suk Yeol has accepted the resignation of Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who is believed to have advised Yoon to declare martial law, according to presidential Chief of Staff Chung Jin-suk on Thursday.