When South Korea's leader declared martial law a year ago, one young woman blocked a tank, a civil servant resigned in protest and a lawmaker switched sides to remove him from office.

They are among the many South Koreans whose lives were transformed on December 3, 2024.

That wintry night, then-president Yoon Suk Yeol interrupted national television broadcasts to suspend civilian rule for the first time in more than four decades.

Soldiers and tanks deployed in central Seoul. Troops landed by helicopter, smashing windows and storming parliament as lawmakers fought to overturn the decree.

With thousands of protesters filling the streets, the National Assembly voted within hours to nullify Yoon's order.

A year on, AFP spoke to three people who were there fighting to protect democracy, an

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