South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stunned his nation on Dec. 3 by declaring martial law, citing unspecified “threats from North Korea” and “anti-state activities” by domestic political opponents.

Before North Korea could figure out how to spin the news from Seoul, the South’s National Assembly had overturned the order, with opposition lawmakers urging Yoon to resign under threat of impeachment. Such checks and balances are a foreign concept in Pyongyang.

This content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia and was authored by Paul Eckert.

This post was originally published on Radio Free.