Hours after imposing it, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol lifted the martial law decree early Wednesday. His decision came after his earlier announcement sparked protests and lawmakers defied security forces to vote against his declaration.
Why martial law was imposed in South Korea?
Late on Tuesday, Yoon declared “emergency martial law”, accusing opposition parties of destabilising governance, sympathising with North Korea and threatening the constitutional order of the nation. He even vowed to eliminate “anti-state” forces.
“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,” Yoon said in a televised address late on Tuesday.
“Our National Assembly has become a haven for criminals, a den of legislative dictatorship that seeks to paralyse the judicial and administrative systems and overturn our liberal democratic order,” he said.
Protests in South Korea after Yoon imposed martial law
Soon after the announcement, political tension heightened in South Korea between Yoon’s People Power Party and the opposition Democratic Party.
After declaration of martial law, the National Assembly was completely sealed and helicopters were seen landing on the roof of the building in Seoul. According to reports from Yonhap news agency, the military announced that activities by parliament and political parties would be prohibited, and media outlets along with publishing houses would operate under direct supervision of the martial law administration.
Yoon’s decision to impose martial law, first in over four decades, also plunged South Korea into its deepest turmoil in its modern democratic history and caught even the country’s closest allies around the world off guard.
Content retrieved from: https://www.firstpost.com/world/south-korea-president-lifts-martial-law-hours-after-imposing-it-13841350.html.
