North Korea Martial law lifted: President Yoon loses power struggle

Hours of chaos in democratic South Korea: President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is in a polling slump, lifted the martial law he had unexpectedly imposed within hours.

All 190 members present in the National Assembly had previously called on the president to lift the state of emergency in a vote. The largest opposition party accused Yoon of breaking the constitution and called on him to resign immediately. Otherwise, impeachment proceedings would be initiated.

International concern

The USA, South Korea's most important ally and protective power, expressed deep concern about Yoon's brief declaration of martial law, as did Germany. Neighboring Japan also reacted with surprise. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken welcomed Yoon's about-turn and warned that political differences must be resolved "peacefully and in accordance with the principles of the rule of law".

In Seoul, thousands of demonstrators marched in front of the parliament, which had been cordoned off by the military, to protest loudly against Yoon's actions. Criticism also came from his own government: "The Republic of Korea is a liberal democratic nation, and we stand with the people to defend liberal democracy and will firmly oppose this declaration of martial law," declared the head of the ruling party, Han Dong Hoon.

President accuses the opposition

It was the first time since South Korea's transition to democracy in the late 1980s that the country's president had declared martial law. After gaining independence from Japan in 1945 until the late 1980s, South Korea was predominantly ruled by military dictatorships. In the spring of 1980, the then military dictator Chun Doo Hwan imposed martial law in South Korea for the last time to date.

As a result of this step, all political activities were briefly banned. Yoon also effectively restricted the activities of the media and publishing houses.

It remains unclear what prompted the 63-year-old to take this radical step. In a speech broadcast live on television, the conservative head of state argued that martial law was aimed at "protecting the constitutional order of freedom". "Last night at 11pm, I declared a state of emergency with the firm intention of protecting the nation from anti-state forces," said Yoon. He accused the opposition of sympathizing with the communist regime in North Korea.

South Korea has formally remained in a state of war with its northern neighbor since the end of the Korean War in 1953, as the war ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty. For the political right, to which Yoon belongs, it is a common accusation to defame the leftist camp as communist and "pro-North Korean".

Yoon fights against poor poll ratings

According to experts, the brief declaration of martial law could be motivated by domestic politics. The president has been suffering from miserable poll ratings for months. Over the past few weekends, an increasing number of demonstrators have taken to the streets of downtown Seoul to demand Yoon's impeachment. In addition, allegations of corruption against his wife have been circulating for some time. At the same time, the ruling camp and the opposition were arguing in parliament over the national budget for the coming year.

Yoon accused the opposition-dominated parliament of obstructing government business by proposing the impeachment of ministers and other officials. Since the government took office in May 2022, the National Assembly has submitted 22 motions for impeachment.

The president has a strong role in the South Korean state system. The prime minister is also clearly subordinate to him. The power of the directly elected president is therefore comparatively extensive, although he may not be re-elected after a single five-year term of office. In view of the public pressure, experts believe it is unlikely that Yoon will remain in office until the end of his term in 2027.

Despite the protests outside parliament on Wednesday night, the situation remained peaceful apart from a few minor scuffles. The German embassy in Seoul initially saw "no immediate danger to the personal safety and property of foreign nationals".

SDA