SEOUL, South Korea — South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol abruptly declared martial law and mobilized the military, plunging the country into chaos for six hours before withdrawing it early Wednesday.
Yun did so in the face of nationwide protests 155 minutes after announcing his appointment in a televised speech late Tuesday night.
Lawmakers rushed to the Capitol, with 190 of the 300 members in attendance, and 190 out of 300 in attendance, as demonstrators opposing martial law gathered outside the building and the country’s powerful labor unions threatened to proceed. A resolution calling for the order to be lifted was quickly passed. strike.
Facing opposition from many people across the country and even his own People’s Power Party leadership, Yun returned to state television to rescind the martial law declaration.
“I have accepted the decision to dissolve the National Assembly and lift martial law,” Yun said around 4:30 a.m. local time Wednesday (2:30 p.m. Eastern time Tuesday).
Shortly thereafter, Han Dong-hoon, president of the People’s Power Party, insisted that he would personally explain to Yoon the details of this tragic situation.
Mr. Yun, who is expected to take office as a conservative government in 2022, abruptly declared martial law late Tuesday, abruptly ending a six-hour standoff that began when the opposition accused the country of sympathizing with North Korea and controlling parliament.
“We are declaring a state of emergency in order to protect the constitutional order based on freedom and to eradicate the shameful pro-North Korean and anti-national groups that are robbing the people of their freedom and happiness,” Yun said on the country’s YTN news channel. He added that it would protect the country “from the threat of North Korea’s communist forces.”
“The imposition of martial law could cause great inconvenience to the law-abiding people of the Republic of Korea, who uphold the constitutional values, but I will work to minimize such disruption,” he added.
Yoon’s speech was followed by a declaration by martial law commander General Park Ahn-soo.
“All political activities” will be prohibited and “all media and publications will be under the control of the martial law command,” it said.
It added: “Strikes, work stoppages and gatherings that incite social disorder are prohibited.” It also ordered “all medical professionals” to return to work within 48 hours.
“Anyone who violates this declaration is subject to arrest, detention, search and seizure without a warrant pursuant to Article 9 of the Martial Law Law.”
Lawmakers began arriving at Congress within minutes of the announcement, and less than three hours later passed a resolution nullifying Yun’s declaration.
After the vote, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik demanded that special forces leave the National Assembly building and grounds. Immediately afterwards, the soldiers began to file out of one of the gates.
“We regret what happened today,” Hung said, adding, “Now that the resolution annuling martial law has been passed, the use of military police and other government powers is illegal.”
However, the Defense Ministry said martial law would remain in place until Mr. Yun lifts the order.
U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said he had not received any warning that Mr. Yun was planning to declare martial law.
The White House National Security Council confirmed that the Biden administration is in contact with the South Korean government and is “closely monitoring the situation.”
“The situation is fluid,” U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg told X before Yoon announced the lifting of martial law.
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, who had to climb over a fence to enter the National Assembly building, criticized Yoon’s declaration of martial law as “illegal and unconstitutional.”
This is the first time martial law has been declared in South Korea since 1980.
Despite Yun’s declaration of martial law, there were no reports of tanks or soldiers on the streets in the capital Seoul or other parts of South Korea. South Korea is a key U.S. ally in the region, with approximately 28,500 U.S. troops stationed there.
Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said before Yun withdrew that there was “essentially no impact to the U.S. military at this point.”
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported that dozens of people gathered in front of the National Assembly, and several scuffles with police broke out.
With so much uncertainty, the Korean won plummeted against the US dollar after Yun declared martial law.
Mr. Yoon has struggled to push his agenda through the opposition-dominated parliament, and his approval ratings have plummeted in recent months due to various controversies.
His People Power Party has clashed with the liberal opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in parliament, over next year’s budget. The Democratic Party is also pushing for the impeachment of some government officials.
Still, experts on South Korean politics said Yoon’s dramatic power grab was unexpected.
“This is a really unusual situation and a real surprise,” said Edward Howell, a Korea Foundation fellow at Chatham House, a British think tank that focuses on international issues. “It’s as if President Yoon chose the most extreme option first.”
Stella Kim reported from Seoul and Freddie Clayton from London.
