Seoul: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has expressed approval of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's decision to revoke an emergency martial law decree. This statement was communicated by UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric on Wednesday during a press briefing. According to Anadolu Agency, Dujarric characterized the martial law, which lasted only a few hours, as a period filled with confusion. He emphasized that Guterres is closely monitoring the unfolding events. "The Secretary-General welcomes the rescinding of the martial law decree and continues to follow the situation closely," Dujarric noted. The spokesperson underscored the critical role of South Korea's institutions in maintaining order, highlighting the significance of withdrawing the decree. In response to concerns about freedom of expression during the martial law period, Dujarric reiterated the UN's commitment to such freedoms. "Everything unfolded extremely quickly in Korea," he mentioned. "For us, the important thing is that now things have returned to the situation just, you know, more than, let's say, 48 hours ago, the martial law decree was rescinded. And my understanding is that the media is able to operate fully and freely in Korea right now." The martial law was initially imposed by President Yoon late Tuesday, citing alleged 'anti-state activities' by opposition groups. This led the Defense Ministry to instruct military commanders to prepare and deploy troops to enforce the decree, including securing the National Assembly. Despite these orders, lawmakers successfully entered the parliament at midnight, where they conducted an emergency session and voted 190-0 to repeal the decree, effectively nullifying it. Subsequently, President Yoon complied with the parliamentary decision, convened his cabinet, and reversed the martial law. However, this series of events has resulted in Yoon facing potential impeachment.