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On the night of 3rd December and crossing over into the 4th of December too, South Korea descended into chaos after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared “emergency martial law” supposedly to control threats from North Korea, along with accusing opposition parties of being anti-state by trying to impeach prosecutors and going after the budget.
However, this soon escalated to the opposition parties condemning it heavily, going to the National Assembly, and voting against martial law. Now, the situation has reached the point where Yoon might face impeachment.
Martial Law Declared
On the night of Tuesday, 3rd December, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law. In an unannounced televised address he said “To safeguard a liberal South Korea from the threats posed by North Korea’s communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements plundering people’s freedom and happiness, I hereby declare emergency martial law.”
However, he did not specify which measures will be enforced with this declaration.
He also accused the Democratic Party, the main opposition party holding a majority in the 300-member parliament, of “paralysing” governance solely for the “sake of impeachments, special investigations, and shielding their leader from justice”.
Martial law is basically supposed to be a temporary period where the military authorities take power in a region with an emergency being declared and civil authorities prohibited from functioning.
While it’s said to be temporary, however, can last for an indefinite amount of time and is usually enacted during war or emergencies like civil unrest or natural disasters. Civil rights are also usually curbed under this law. Restrictions on freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, and freedom of speech along with the power of courts and more could be applied during this time.
News agency Yonhap quickly reportedly after the declaration that the South Korean military has suspended any parliamentary and other political gatherings that could cause “social confusion”.
The president has been witnessing growing resentment and calls for his resignation for some time now. Recently, around 4,000 university professors and researchers demanded he step down while in November a gathering of at least 100,000 in Seoul in early November also called for the same.
The president’s approval ratings have also dipped considerably in light of various controversies such as stock manipulation, a scandal with his wife accepting a luxury Dior handbag, and more.
The opposition, the Democratic Party, has also been at loggerheads with Yoon’s conservative People Power Party, over next year’s budget and even recently attempted to impeach three top prosecutors, including the chief of the central Seoul prosecutors’ office.
South Korea’s History With The Martial Law
This is the first time this law has been declared in over 40 years with the last time being in October of 1979, right before South Korea became democratic in 1987.
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Instant Opposing Of The Decision
Leader of the South Korean opposition Democratic Party, Lee Jae-Myung declared the martial law “unconstitutional”.
The National Assembly was instantly called. Even though security forces tried to enter and seal off the entrance, the lawmakers managed to get inside, and all 190 out of the 300 members unanimously voted to reject martial law and called for its immediate lifting.
Yonhap News Agency reported that National Assembly members were banned from accessing the building. Images and videos from the National Assembly have shown staff using fire extinguishers to block soldiers from entering the main halls.
There was also an immediate uproar by the civilians of South Korea who came out on the streets to protest the martial law. They lit candles and stood at the Seoul Gwanghwamun Square demanding for the declaration to be revoked.
현장 상황 전해드립니다.
임을 위한 행진곡이 불리고 있습니다.
살아있는 민주주의의 현장입니다.이번주 토요일 시청역, 여러분의 목소리가 이 노래와 함께하기를 바라겠습니다. pic.twitter.com/fr5N6zQSnf
— 촛불행동 (@candlemove) December 3, 2024
Speaking with News1 Korea, Ms. Lee Mi-hyeon a mother with two sons in the military said “I am afraid that my children will die in the military, and parents are afraid that their sons who have joined the military will die in the war.”
She further condemned the president and said “President Yoon Seok-yeol declared martial law illegally because he thought the Republic of Korea was his during his five-year term,” and explained the reason for her protests as “He is ruining the country, and as a mother, I couldn’t help but stand here.”
Shin Jae-hyun, a college student majoring in Korean literature and political science, also was quoted by News1 Korea saying “They are using their power to cover up crimes, and when the people voted to punish them, they are abusing their veto power,” and “Yesterday, they committed an unprecedented act of trampling on the constitutional order… Why should the people be accused of being anti-state forces?”
South Korea’s largest labor union, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, also announced an indefinite strike demanding the president’s resignation. In a Facebook post the union wrote “KCTU members will stop work in accordance with the general strike directive and carry out nationwide emergency action for the abolition of martial law, the resignation of Yoon Suk-yeol for the crime of insurrection, social reform, and the realization of people’s sovereignty.”
President Facing Impeachment
After the immense backlash, President Yoon withdrew the martial law, announcing in a televised address that “Just a moment ago, there was a demand from the National Assembly to lift the state of emergency, and we have withdrawn the military that was deployed for martial law operations.”
However, the damage has been done with the opposition party planning to impeach him.
In recent news, the South Korean opposition parties have submitted a motion to impeach the president. As per reports, the representatives for six opposition parties including the main Democratic party said “We’ve submitted an impeachment motion prepared urgently.”
Reports claim that the vote on whether to impeach Yoon or not will be taken by Friday or Saturday.
Image Credits: Google Images
Sources: The Guardian, BBC,
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