South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in his country during a television broadcast on Tuesday night. After a day of political unrest and the South Korean parliament’s rejection of the martial law measure, Yoon said he would lift this declaration.
Yoon’s Cabinet later officially voted to lift the martial law measure, but the unrest persists. Protesters with signs and flags aren’t leaving the parliament building, as calls for Yoon’s resignation grow despite his decision to reverse the declared emergency.
What did Yoon say: Moments before imposing martial law, Yoon had accused South Korea’s opposition party of sympathizing with North Korea, and promised to neutralize the “shameless pro-North Korean anti-state forces.”
- Yoon also said the Korea Democratic Party “paralyzed the administration” through a series of impeachment attempts directed at several cabinet members and is holding next year’s budget hostage. The programs for anti-crime measures and public safety have been cut, turning South Korea into a “drug paradise,” said Yoon. As per Fox News, the South Korean Democratic Party reduced the president’s budget by more than 4 trillion won.
- “The National Assembly has become a monster undermining liberal democracy, and the nation is in a precarious state, teetering on the edge of collapse,” he said, as CNN reported.
On the ground: This is the first time martial law has been invoked in South Korea since 1980. The announcement triggered protests outside the parliament, which was barricaded and under military control.
Parliament takes action: After the Parliament voted 300-190 to block martial law — with all present voting in favor of blocking it — authorities left the parliament grounds. According to the BBC, lawmakers reportedly scaled fences to reach the parliament and cast their votes.
- “The martial law declaration is now null and void. Citizens, please remain calm,” said National Assembly Speaker Woo Won following the vote. “The National Assembly will protect democracy together with the people. Military and police personnel currently inside the National Assembly grounds are requested to leave immediately.”
Although the parliament unanimously overturned the measure, the South Korean military stayed put, saying the president had to be the one to lift it.
Other politicians respond: Former South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who belongs to the Democratic Party, in a post on X expressed concern about the unfolding events.
- “I hope that the National Assembly will act quickly to protect our democracy from crumbling,” he wrote. “I ask the people to join forces to protect and save democracy and to help the National Assembly function normally.”
- The conservative People Power Party’s leader, Han Dong-hoon, also slammed Yoon’s decision to declare martial law, saying it was “wrong.”
- Former South Korean Foreign Minister Kyung-wha Kang told CNN that since the martial law declaration came as a surprise, may have bypassed the cabinet. “So it doesn’t seem any of the ministers were aware that this was going to happen, aside from the defense minister obviously,” he said. “It seems that there was preparation in that side because the tanks were rolling in, the helicopters were in the air minutes after the decree was announced.”
