Martial law declared then lifted, army deployed… what we know about the situation in South Korea

Unheard of since the 1980s. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol proclaimed martial law on Tuesday evening, saying the measure was necessary to protect the country from “North Korean communist forces”. The measure, however, came to nothing: a few hours later, the Korean Parliament, which had been invaded by the army, voted for the lifting of martial law, which led to the withdrawal of troops who had come to block parliamentary activity .

What is martial law?

As indicated in a press release published in the Korean press, martial law in South Korea was introduced this Tuesday at 11 p.m. local (i.e. 3 p.m. in Paris). The statement clarified that “all political activities, including activities of the National Assembly, local councils, political parties, political associations, rallies and demonstrations, are prohibited.”

“Any action aimed at denying or attempting to overthrow the liberal democratic system is prohibited, as well as fake news, manipulation of public opinion and false propaganda,” also indicated the text, which added that “all media and publications are controlled by martial law. Also prohibited were “strikes, sabotage and assembly activities that encourage social chaos”.

What did Parliament and the opposition respond to?

Parliament, however, voted to cancel this same martial law. Under the Constitution, this must be lifted when a parliamentary majority requires it, recalls the South Korean news agency Yonhap. With the adoption of the motion, the declaration of martial law is null and void, affirmed the office of the Speaker of Parliament.

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, called Yoon’s announcement “illegal” and “invalid.” . “Come to the National Assembly now. I am going there too,” he added, urging citizens to join him in opposing martial law. Hundreds of people heard his call and flocked to the Parliament, which was placed under seal, around 1 a.m. (5 p.m. in Paris), according to television images.

The vote rejecting martial law was ultimately accepted by President Yoon. “There was a request from the National Assembly to lift the state of emergency, and we proceeded with the withdrawal of the soldiers who had been deployed for martial law operations,” he declared on television , during the night. “We will grant the request of the National Assembly and lift martial law during a government meeting,” he added.

Why did the Korean president declare martial law?

In a surprise televised address, President Yoon Suk-yeol explained that he wanted to “protect liberal South Korea from the threats posed by North Korean communist forces and eliminate elements hostile to the state.” “Without concern for the livelihood of the people, the opposition party has paralyzed the government, for the purposes of impeachments, special investigations and to protect its leader from legal proceedings,” said the conservative president.

The move came as Yoon Suk-yeol’s People Power Party battled with the main opposition Democratic Party over next year’s proposed budget. Opposition deputies approved a considerably reduced budget program last week, through a committee.

“Our National Assembly has become a refuge for criminals,” denounced the president. And Yoon Suk-yeol accuses the elected representatives of the opposition, “forces hostile to the State intending to overthrow the regime”, of cutting “all budgets essential to the primary functions of the nation which are the struggle against drug-related crimes and maintaining public security (…) transforming the country into a drug paradise and a place of chaos for public security.”

What reactions internationally?

Shortly after the declaration of martial law, the United States and the United Kingdom indicated that they were “monitoring the situation” in South Korea “closely”. “We hope and expect that political disputes will be resolved peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law,” said Kurt Campbell, deputy US secretary of state.

For its part, the UN said it was monitoring the situation “very closely” and “with concern”.

In China, Beijing has called on its fellow citizens in South Korea to be “cautious”.

For its part, the French Embassy in South Korea said it was monitoring “the situation continuously”. She will speak at greater length as soon as she has “more information”, she indicates on X.