South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has declared an “emergency martial law” accusing the country’s opposition of controlling the parliament, having sympathetic ties with North Korea, and disrupting the government with anti-state activities.
Yoon made the announcement in a televised briefing, vowing to “eradicate pro-North Korean forces and protect the constitutional democratic order.”
It remains unclear how Yoon’s decision will impact the country’s governance and democracy. The move has been met with swift opposition from various politicians, even from his own conservative party leader, Han Dong-hoon, who labeled the move as “incorrect” and pledged to oppose it alongside the public. Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, condemned Yoon’s declaration as “unlawful and against the constitution.”
Yoon stated during a televised speech that, “Through this martial law, I will rebuild and safeguard the free Republic of Korea, which is on the verge of national decay,” invoking South Korea’s official 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.”
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.
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.
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