South Korea is in a deep state crisis. First, President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on Tuesday, locked down parliament and controlled the media. After a negative vote in parliament, Yoon announced the lifting of martial law. An overview.
After dramatic hours, Yoon announced in the early morning hours (local time) on Wednesday that he would lift the martial law he declared.
Soldiers withdrew again
In his own words, he responded to Parliament’s decision to block martial law. The soldiers who had to ensure martial law have been withdrawn and the cabinet will meet soon.
Yoon had previously declared martial law for the first time in more than four decades. He accused the opposition of being accomplices of the communist north.
“The National Assembly has just called for the lifting of the state of emergency, and we have withdrawn the military deployed to operate under martial law,” Yoon said in a televised address. “We will heed the request of the National Assembly and lift martial law at a cabinet meeting,” he added.
To protect the free and constitutional order, he had no choice but to declare martial law, the politician from the conservative People Power Party (PPP) said late Tuesday evening (local time).
Parliament was locked down after the initial declaration of martial law. The military declared that the work of parliament and political parties was prohibited. Media and publishing houses would be placed under the control of the Martial Law Command.
“Unconstitutional”
Parliament itself previously voted to lift martial law. The speaker of parliament declared Yoon’s move invalid. Both opposition leader Lee Jae Myung and the head of Yoon’s own party, Han Dong Hoon, declared martial law unconstitutional.
“Yoon Suk Yeol captured”
Several people then gathered in front of the parliament building in the capital Seoul. Some chanted “Repeat martial law,” others chanted “Arrest Yoon Suk Yeol.” Live television reports showed soldiers struggling to enter the parliament building. Employees tried to stop them, including by spraying fire extinguishers.
28,500 US troops in South Korea
28,500 American soldiers are stationed in South Korea to protect the ally against nuclear power North Korea. The Korean War on the Peninsula lasted from 1950 to 1953 and ended with an armistice. In fact, the two Korean states are still at war. Although South Korea had a number of authoritarian governments in its early days, it has been considered democratic since the 1980s.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
