South Korea was plunged into political chaos this week when its president, Yoon Suk Yeol, declared martial law during a televised late-night address on Tuesday. Parliament forced him to lift it within hours. 

According to the leader, he did this to “safeguard the country from “anti-state forces” and “threats posed by North Korea”. While he didn’t provide details of the threats from North Korea, Yoon’s approval rating has been in decline for several months now, and parliament, which is controlled by his opposition, the Democratic Party, has blocked several of his political objectives. He’s also been slammed for dismissing calls for investigations into financial scandals that include him and his wife, Kim Keon Hee.

Martial law usually refers to a power that, in an emergency, allows the military to take the place of the civilian government and exercise jurisdiction over civilians in a particular area, according to The Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, 

Yoon now faces a police investigation for insurrectionist activities and an impeachment vote on Saturday that could see him ousted. 

His defence minister, Kim Yong-hyun, who played a key role in the chaotic six-hour period of martial law, has resigned and been replaced.

Myunghee Lee, an expert on authoritarianism, democracy and South Korean politics at Michigan State University, said that Yoon had declared martial law out of anger. “He was angry, and resentful at the opposition blocking him repeatedly. But then again, I can’t read his mind,” she said. 

Meanwhile, MSNBC Opinions Editor James Downie said the parallels between South Korea and US politics were “beyond eerie.” Downie praised the South Korean Democratic Party for nipping the martial law declaration in the bud. He said this should be a warning to President-elect Donald Trump and urged the US Democrats to take a leaf out of South Korea’s book.

What happens now? Yoon’s party, the conservative, right-wing People Power Party, has vowed to protect him from impeachment. At the same time, South Korea’s main labour union has called for an indefinite strike until Yoon resigns. The 1.2 million-member Korean Confederation of Trade Unions accused Yoon of an “irrational and anti-democratic measure”, saying he had “declared the end of (his) own power”.

Come Sunday, Yoon will probably be in the market for a new job.