Power struggle with parliament South Korea's president wants to lift martial law again
A political rollercoaster ride in South Korea: first, the president declares martial law in a power struggle with parliament. However, this apparently successfully forces him to lift it again.
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- In a power struggle with parliament, South Korea's president has declared martial law and announced only around 12 hours later that he intends to revoke it.
- President Yoon took the measure amid a dispute between his party and the largest opposition force over next year's budget bill.
- Parliament was locked down and special forces secured the building.
- The military and police withdrew following a parliamentary vote calling on the president to lift martial law.
This article will be updated regularly.
In a power struggle with parliament, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol wants to lift the martial law he had recently imposed. According to South Korea's national news agency Yonhap, Yoon said that the military had withdrawn and that the cabinet would meet soon.
The previously declared state of emergency was aimed at "wiping out pro-North Korean forces and protecting the constitutional order of freedom", Yoon said. Videos show special forces entering the parliament building shortly after the announcement. They were there for "security and to ensure order", according to the statement.
Parliament sealed off
As the official news agency Yonhap reports, access to parliament, the National Assembly in Seoul, is currently blocked. In addition, all political activities, including protests and party activities, are banned. Details of the accusations made by Yoon were not initially known.
Parliamentary Speaker Woo Won Shik called on the military and police to remain calm. All members of the National Assembly were to gather in the plenary hall of the parliament building. Meanwhile, the parliament has voted in favor of an immediate lifting of martial law.
According to Yonhap, the army leadership has called an emergency meeting to "discuss further steps". "All acts that deny or attempt to overthrow the liberal democratic system, as well as the spread of fake news, the manipulation of public opinion and false propaganda are prohibited," it said in a statement. Strikes or gatherings that could stir up unrest, such as large demonstrations, are also prohibited. Anyone who does not comply with government instructions will be arrested without a warrant.
Criticism also from own party
The opposition has sharply criticized the measures. Opposition leader Lee Jae Myung described the previously declared martial law as "unconstitutional" and unfounded, according to a Yonhap report. Tanks and soldiers with guns would soon control the country, Lee continued, according to Yonhap.
Yoon Suk Yeol has been under domestic political pressure for months. Most recently, an alleged corruption scandal involving his wife has further depressed his popularity ratings. In addition, the incumbent party is at loggerheads with the opposition over the budget law for the coming year.
Tensions on the Korean peninsula have also been rising for months. North Korea has significantly increased its missile tests over the past two years and stepped up its rhetoric against the USA and South Korea. North Korea has also sent thousands of soldiers to Russia, where they are being deployed in the recapture of the Kursk region.
USA: situation being monitored "closely"
Meanwhile, the US government is in contact with the government in Seoul. A spokesperson for the National Security Council said in Washington that the US government is "closely monitoring the situation".
The USA is South Korea's most important ally and has stationed 28,500 soldiers there to protect the country from North Korea and its nuclear army. Both countries regularly hold military maneuvers, which the leadership in Pyongyang denounces as preparations for an invasion of the North. North Korea often responds to the maneuvers with weapons tests.
During his time in office, outgoing US President Joe Biden worked to strengthen the coalition of Seoul, Tokyo and Washington as a counterweight to North Korea and China, which is becoming increasingly dominant in the region. At Biden's initiative, South Korean President Yoon hosted a democracy summit this year to discuss strategies for protecting democratic institutions worldwide.
South Korea and North Korea have formally remained in a state of war since the end of the Korean War in 1953, as the conflict ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty. The two countries are separated by a demilitarized zone around four kilometers wide. International sanctions are intended to prevent North Korea from further expanding its nuclear weapons program. North Korea's ruler Kim Jon Un is supported by China and Russia.
A spokesperson for the United Nations stated that the UN is following developments in South Korea "very closely and with concern".
China, an important ally of North Korea, instructed its citizens staying in South Korea to remain calm. Russia, another supporter of Pyongyang, also called the declaration of martial law in South Korea "worrying".
Great Britain declared that it was "closely monitoring" events. The Federal Foreign Office in Berlin advised German citizens to avoid political gatherings in South Korea.