South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol declared emergency martial law in a televised address on Tuesday.

Yoon said he had no choice but to resort to such a measure to "safeguard free and constitutional order," saying opposition parties have taken the parliamentary process hostage to throw the country into a crisis.

He did not say in the address what specific measures would be taken.

Yoon had earlier mentioned a motion by the country's opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in parliament, this week to impeach some of the country's top prosecutors and its rejection of a government budget proposal.

(With input from agencies)