South korean president declares martial law
everything you need to know
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declares martial law to eliminate ‘anti-state forces.’
President Yoon has struggled with controlling the country’s parliament, as the opposing party has put the government in political gridlock. Yeol accuses the party of sympathizing with communist North Korea. The South Korean military and tanks can be seen marching down the streets, an authoritative move that has not been seen since the 1980s. Yoon’s party immediately denounced the decree, with all 190 of the 300 members of parliament present voting to lift the martial law. President Yoon is forced to comply, however, under the South Korean constitution there is no specified time constraint. As of 1:00 a.m. in South Korea, troops have begun withdrawing, but it’s still unclear whether Yoon will comply.
“The President should immediately lift the emergency martial law following the voting by the National Assembly. Now, emergency martial law declaration is invalid,” Woo Won-sik, Chairman of the National Assembly said.
In a televised speech, Yoon promised to “rebuild and protect” South Korea from “falling into the depths of national ruin.” He vows to “eradicate pro-North Korean forces and protect the constitutional democratic order.”
“I will eliminate anti-state forces as quickly as possible and normalize the country,” President Yoon said.
The South Korean President has been dealing with political gridlock from the opposing party, not to mention declining approval ratings and controversy after the controversy.
Regardless, this will have huge ramifications for the US, as South Korea is home to thousands of US troops. Furthermore, the US imports tens of billions of dollars of machinery and technology from South Korea.
Alongside martial law, President Yoon is prohibiting any form of political gatherings, including parliament. Additionally, any doctors who were previously on strike due to issues with the country’s healthcare system are required to return to work immediately. The military intends to arrest those who don’t comply.
South Korea has had a long history of authoritative rule despite posing as a democracy, dating back to the Korean War (1950-53). South Korea’s president at the time of the war, Syngman Rhee, declared martial law and made himself president for life. This was followed by deadly mass protests across the nation resulting in Rhee resigning and fleeing the country. In 1961, Gen. Park Chung-hee seized power in a coup. Once his popularity began to decline in 1970, he declared martial law. The most recent declaration of martial law occurred in 1980 during a mass uprising led by labor unions and students.
There is some hope amidst the chaos, as protestors outside parliament’s main building chant ‘Yoon Suk-yeol, step down!’ This abuse of power has been met with resistance from the people, but it’s unclear whether democracy or President Yoon’s authoritative greed will win this battle.
