During his final news conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomes President Yoon Suk Yeol's decision to lift his martial law order in response to the National Assembly's vote invalidating it.

The United States was not aware of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's intention to declare martial law, U.S. Secretary State Antony Blinken told Reuters on Wednesday, adding that he was anticipating speaking with his South Korean counterpart in the coming days.

South Korean lawmakers began impeachment proceedings against President Yoon Suk Yeol after he briefly imposed martial law and then reversed course on that decision just hours later. Yoon claimed martial law was necessary to protect the country from "North Korea's communist forces" and to "eliminate anti-state elements.