Yoon Suk Yeol was formally suspended from official duties as South Korea's president at 19:24 local time (10:24 GMT), his office says.

A short distance from the parliament protests, the rally outside Seoul's City Hall made up of the president's supporters was seen the anger and disappointment was palpable after the parliament voted to impeach him.

Tens of thousands of anti-impeachment protesters had gathered here to express their outrage over the past week's proceedings.

Many of these demonstrators are strong supporters of the president and the conservative party. They are largely older voters, with more direct experience of the Korean War and North Korean provocations.They believe that the declaration of martial law was necessary to safeguard democracy and national security as the president claimed.

It's a stark contrast to the scene that unfolded outside the National Assembly where people called for the president to resign - reflecting a majority of public opinion according to polls.

Before he became president, Yoon rose to prominence as a prosecutor who took down high-ranking officials. In 2016, he led a probe into former President Park Geun-hye, which ultimately resulted in her impeachment.

In 2022, he won the top job by a whisker - but by earlier this year, he'd already become deeply unpopular with the public.

President Yoon has been plagued by personal scandals, including one involving his wife allegedly accepting a luxury Dior handbag.

(Source: BBC)