Nearly 200,000 people participated in the demonstration against President Yoon outside the National Assembly, which was organized by the country's largest trade union on Saturday.
The day began with a strong sense of determination and a clear message: Yoon must not only resign but also be held accountable.
I condemn the attack on our democracy and we will not give up until Yoon is held accountable, says demonstrator Ina Park.
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Demonstrators flocked from all over Seoul and the pressure was so high at times that subway stations near the National Assembly were closed.
This is our generation's biggest and most important thing to fight for, says Mingyeong Sung.
But the demonstrators did not win this time. Members of the president's party left the chamber before the vote. However, most of the demonstrators refused to give up and sat outside in the December cold, shouting: "Please, come back and vote".
For a long time, there was hope that the members would return to the chamber for the vote, but it never happened. The atmosphere was gloomy. Some of the demonstrators had tears in their eyes, while others cried openly.
What he has done is unforgivable. We no longer trust that he stands up for our democratic institutions and we must set an example. If he gets away with it, it shows that you can introduce martial law without consequences, says Mingyeong Sung.
The next opportunity for a vote will be next Wednesday, December 11.
I'm willing to come then too. I think everyone is angry and upset today, says Mingyeong Sung on his way home from the demonstration.
I just think I'll go home and sleep.
Forced to back down
Earlier in the day, a smaller demonstration in support of conservative Yoon was held, gathering around 15,000 people on Gwanghwamun Square. Many of the participants said the president should stay.
President Yoon Suk-Yeol shocked his countrymen and the world late on Tuesday when he declared martial law with war laws, citing that the opposition was hindering the government's work. He was forced to back down from it just six hours later, after the 190 members who quickly gathered in parliament unanimously voted against it.
Since then, the pressure on him to resign has increased. Early on Saturday, Yoon apologized, but without resigning.
South Korea's President Yoon Suk-Yeol, who belongs to the conservative People's Party (PPP), introduced martial law late on the evening of December 3 to protect the country from "communist forces".
During the night against December 4, the parliament, with the Democratic Party (DP) in the majority, voted to repeal the war laws, and the martial law was declared invalid.
President Yoon Suk-Yeol later announced in a televised speech that he would lift the martial law, which lasted a total of about six hours.
The opposition wants the president to be held accountable and the country's largest trade union has called for a general strike until he resigns.
