The South Korean parliament has voted to defy the country's president and immediately lift his martial law declaration. President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law late Tuesday, vowing to eliminate "anti-state" forces as he struggles against an opposition that controls the country's parliament and that he accuses of sympathizing with communist North Korea.
The surprising move harkened back to an era of authoritarian leaders that the country has not seen since the 1980s, and it was immediately denounced by the opposition and the leader of Yoon's own conservative party.
Yoon Suk declared the imposition of “emergency martial law” on Tuesday, accusing the country’s opposition of controlling the parliament, sympathizing with North Korea and paralyzing the government with anti-state activities.
2 View gallery
South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol in a national broadcast on December 3, 2024,declared emergency martial law, saying the step was necessary to protect the country from "communist forces" amid parliamentary wrangling over a budget bill
(Photo: Jung Yeon-je / AFP)
He made the announcement in a televised briefing, vowing to “eradicate pro-North Korean forces and protect the constitutional democratic order.”
It wasn’t immediately clear how Yoon’s step would affect the country’s governance and democracy.
The move drew immediate opposition from politicians, including the leader of his own conservative party, Han Dong-hoon, who called the decision “wrong” and vowed to “stop it with the people.” Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, called Yoon’s announcement “illegal and unconstitutional.”
“Through this martial law, I will rebuild and protect the free Republic of Korea, which is falling into the depths of national ruin,” Yoon said during a televised speech, invoking South Korea’s formal name.
“I will eliminate anti-state forces as quickly as possible and normalize the country,” he said, while asking the people to believe in him and tolerate “some inconveniences.”
2 View gallery
Police stand guard in front of the main gate of the National Assembly in Seoul on December 3, 2024, after South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law
(Photo: Jung Yeon-je / AFP)
Yoon – whose approval rating has dipped in recent months – has struggled to push his agenda against an opposition-controlled parliament since taking office in 2022.
Yoon’s conservative People Power Party had been locked in an impasse with the liberal opposition Democratic Party over next year’s budget bill. The opposition has also been attempting to pass motions to impeach three top prosecutors, including the chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, in what the conservatives have called a vendetta against their criminal investigations on Lee, who has been seen as the favorite for the next presidential election in 2027 in opinion polls.
Get the Ynetnews app on your smartphone: Google Play: https://bit.ly/4eJ37pE | Apple App Store: https://bit.ly/3ZL7iNv
Yoon has also been dismissing calls for independent investigations into scandals involving his wife and top officials, drawing quick, strong rebukes from his political rivals. The Democratic Party reportedly called an emergency meeting of its lawmakers following Yoon’s announcement.
First published: 17:12, 12.03.24