As he battles an opposition that controls the nation’s parliament and whom he accuses of having ties to communist North Korea, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol imposed martial law late Tuesday with the promise of eradicating anti-state forces.
Speaker of the National Assembly Woo Won Shik declared that martial law was unconstitutional and that parliamentarians would defend democracy alongside the populace when parliament decided to lift the declaration less than three hours later.
Following Woo’s order for their departure, police and military troops were observed departing the Assembly’s premises. Lawmakers from the liberal Democratic Party, which controls the majority in the 300-seat parliament, will stay in the Assembly’s main chamber until Yoon formally revokes his order, according to Lee Jae-myung, the party’s chairman.
Lee told reporters that members of the Democratic Party, including myself and many others, would sacrifice our lives to defend our nation’s democracy, future, public safety, lives, and property.
Hundreds of demonstrators appeared in front of the Assembly, chanting for Yoon’s impeachment and brandishing placards.
Before the parliamentarians’ vote, a few demonstrators got into a skirmish with the army, but no serious injuries or significant property damage were reported at the time. Troops tried to enter the Assembly building, breaking at least one window. A woman said, “Aren’t you embarrassed?” as she made an unsuccessful attempt to remove a firearm from one of the troops.
The opposition and the head of Yoon’s own conservative party swiftly condemned the president’s unexpected action, which harked back to an authoritarian era the nation has not experienced since the 1980s.
At a bus station in Seoul, South Korea, on Tuesday, December 3, 2024, people watch a TV screen that broadcasts South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s televised briefing.Ahn Young-joon/AP Photo
The president of South Korea is authorized by the constitution to impose martial law in times of war, situations resembling war, or other similar national emergencies where the use of force is necessary to preserve peace and order. Whether South Korea is in such a position at the moment was questioned.
Special measures may be used to limit the freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and other rights, as well as the authority of the judiciary, when martial law is imposed.
According to the constitution, if the National Assembly passes a majority vote calling for the lifting of martial law, the president is required to comply.
According to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, the military declared that parliament and any political events that can lead to popular unrest will be suspended after Yoon’s announcement.
The White House in Washington stated that the events in Seoul were a major source of concern for the United States. According to a National Security Council spokesperson, President Joe Biden’s administration was in communication with the South Korean government and was not informed beforehand of the declaration of martial law.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, a veteran of the Asia-Pacific region, reaffirmed that the U.S.-South Korea relationship is unbreakable and that the U.S. would support Korea during its challenging times while speaking at an event with Japan’s ambassador to Washington.
Additionally, Campbell emphasized that we have every expectation and hope that any political disagreements would be settled amicably and in conformity with the law.
According to Yonhap, the South Korean military also ordered the nation’s striking physicians to report back to work within 48 hours. Due to government intentions to increase the number of students attending medical schools, thousands of doctors have been on strike for months. According to the military, anyone who disobeys the order could be taken into custody without a warrant.
Shortly after the announcement, the speaker of the parliament urged all members to attend the National Assembly on his YouTube channel. He asked law enforcement and military troops to maintain their composure and hold their ground.
The lifting of martial law was endorsed by all 190 lawmakers who took part in the voting. After the vote, soldiers stationed at parliament were seen on television departing the area.
On Tuesday, December 3, 2024, in Seoul, South Korea, police officers stand watch in front of the National Assembly as people attempt to enter.Photo by Lee Jin-man/AP
TV footage from hours earlier showed helmeted soldiers with guns in front of the National Assembly and police officers barricading the building’s entrance.
Two or three helicopters circled over the Assembly site, and at least three helicopters, perhaps from the military, landed inside the grounds, according to an Associated Press photographer.
Han Dong-hoon, the head of Yoon’s conservative People Power Party, criticized the decision to institute martial law and promised to work with the populace to end it. Yoon’s announcement was deemed unlawful and unconstitutional by Lee, who lost the 2022 presidential election to Yoon by a slim margin.
In a televised speech, Yoon said that martial law would aid in reconstruction and keep the nation from plunging into a state of complete collapse. He pledged to uphold the constitutional democratic order and destroy pro-North Korean groups.
He urged the populace to have faith in him and put up with a few annoyances as he promised to eradicate anti-state groups as soon as possible and normalize the nation.
Since assuming office in 2022, Yoon, whose popularity has declined recently, has found it difficult to advance his policies in a parliament controlled by the opposition.
Regarding the budget measure for next year, Yoon’s party and the liberal opposition have been at a standstill. In what the conservatives have described as a vendetta against their criminal investigations of Lee, who has been viewed by pollsters as the front-runner for the 2027 presidential election, the opposition has also tried to pass motions to impeach three top prosecutors, including the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office.
Yoon did not go into further detail in his broadcast announcement, but he did characterize the opposition as blatant pro-North Korean anti-state elements who are robbing our folks of their freedom and pleasure.
In contrast to his liberal predecessor Moon Jae-in, who sought inter-Korean interaction, Yoon has adopted a tough stance against North Korea’s nuclear aspirations.
Political opposition have swiftly and sharply criticized Yoon for rejecting calls for independent inquiries into issues involving his wife and high-ranking officials.
On Wednesday, December 4, 2024, a helicopter hovers over Seoul, South Korea’s National Assembly.Photo by Lee Jin-man/AP
Yoon’s action was the first martial law proclamation since the nation’s 1987 democratization. Following the assassination of former military ruler Park Chung-hee, the Korea experienced martial law for the last time in October 1979.
According to Natalia Slavney, a research analyst at the Korean affairs website 38 North, run by the Stimson Center, Yoon’s declaration of martial law was a significant setback for South Korea’s democracy and came after a concerning pattern of abuse since he assumed office in 2022.
The political ramifications of this temporary emergency martial law, both at home and abroad, are still unknown. Slavney cited former President Park Geun-hye as one example, saying, “But South Korea has a robust history of political pluralism and is not stranger to mass protests and swift impeachments.”
In 2017, Park, the first female president of the nation, was removed from office and imprisoned for bribery and other offenses.
According to Kim Tong-hyung of The Associated Press
Didi Tang, Matt Lee, and Hyung-jin Kim all contributed to this article.
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