South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday declared martial law in an unannounced late night address broadcast live on YTN television.
Yoon, a member of the country’s People Power party, said martial law was necessary because his political opposition, which controls South Korea’s national assembly, had hindered government work.
It is the first time since 1980 that martial law was declared in South Korea.
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President Yoon Lifts Martial Law Order
Yoon’s government early Wednesday lifted the martial law he imposed during a tense night of political drama in which troops surrounded parliament and lawmakers voted to reject military rule.
Police and military personnel were seen leaving the grounds of parliament following the vote, and the declaration was formally lifted around 4:30 a.m. during a Cabinet meeting.
Yoon Says He Will Lift Martial Law After Parliament Vote
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Wednesday he would move to lift a martial law declaration he had imposed just hours before, honoring a parliamentary vote against the measure.
Yoon said his government has withdrawn military personnel that had been deployed, and that he would formally lift martial law following a Cabinet meeting as “soon as members arrive.”
Biden Being Briefed on South Korea
President Joe Biden said he is being kept up to date on the situation in South Korea, where President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, after which the parliament unanimously overturned the order.
Biden is currently in Angola.
The United States has said it is monitoring the situation with “grave concern.”
Biden Admin Watching Events With ‘Grave Concern’
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell told reporters on Tuesday afternoon that the Biden administration is watching events in South Korea with “grave concern.”
Speaking at the State Department, Campbell said that President Joe Biden, national security adviser Jake Sullivan, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken are being kept apprised of the situation as it develops.
“We’re seeking to engage our [South Korean] counterparts at every level, both here and in Seoul,” Campbell said.
“We stand by Korea in their time of uncertainty. I also want to just underscore that we have every hope and expectation that any political disputes will be resolved peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law,” he added.
US Ambassador: Officials Monitoring Situation in South Korea
Philip Goldberg, U.S. ambassador to the Republic of Korea, said officials are closely monitoring the unfolding unrest following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law.
“The U.S. Embassy and Department of State are closely tracking President Yoon’s recent declaration of martial law,” Goldberg wrote in a brief post on social media platform X.
“The situation is fluid. Please monitor local news sources for updates as the situation progresses and sign up here to receive direct updates from the Department of State,” he added, linking to the State Department website.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s official spokesperson said the British government is also monitoring the situation.
“We would advise all British nationals to monitor the UK’s travel advice for updates and follow the advice of local authorities,” he said.
Extra advice on the Foreign Office’s external website also adds that British people should “avoid political demonstrations.”
South Korean Military: Martial Law to Remain in Effect Until President Lifts It
The South Korean military said the martial law order will remain in effect until President Yoon Suk Yeol lifts it, according to South Korean news outlet YTN.
Parliament had just unanimously voted to overturn the order.
Yoon declared martial law during an overnight address, claiming that the opposition was sympathizing with North Korea and paralyzing government.
Biden Admin in Contact With South Korea Government
The Biden administration is in contact with the South Korean government, though details on the level and depth of that contact remain vague.
“The administration is in contact with the ROK government and is monitoring the situation closely,” a Pentagon official told The Epoch Times.
South Korean Troops Withdraw From Parliament
South Korean troops are withdrawing from the parliament building, according to video posted on social media.
Military personnel were stationed at the parliament building in attempts to prevent lawmakers from overturning President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law. However, lawmakers made their way into the building and unanimously voted to undo the order.
Protesters clashed with troops outside the parliament building.
South Korea Parliament Votes to Require Yoon to Lift Martial Law
South Korea’s parliament, with 190 of its 300 members present, passed a motion on Wednesday requiring the martial law declared by President Yoon Suk Yeol to be lifted, live TV showed.
The National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik declared that lawmakers “will protect democracy with the people.” Woo called for police and military personnel to withdraw from the Assembly’s grounds.
South Korea Troops Try to Storm Parliament
Troops were seen trying to enter the South Korean parliament on Wednesday after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in a surprise late-night TV address.
Live television footage showed troops apparently tasked with imposing martial law attempting to enter the assembly building, and parliamentary aides were seen trying to push the soldiers back by spraying fire extinguishers.
Full Text of South Korea’s Martial Law Decree
Below is the translation of the South Korean military decree:
“In order to protect liberal democracy from the threat of overthrowing the regime of the Republic of Korea by anti-state forces active within the Republic of Korea and to protect the safety of the people, the following is hereby declared throughout the Republic of Korea as of 23:00 on Dec. 3:
1. All political activities, including the activities of the National Assembly, local councils, and political parties, political associations, rallies and demonstrations, are prohibited.
2. All acts that deny or attempt to overthrow the liberal democratic system are prohibited, and fake news, public opinion manipulation, and false propaganda are prohibited.
3. All media and publications are subject to the control of the Martial Law Command.
4. Strikes, work stoppages and rallies that incite social chaos are prohibited.
5. All medical personnel, including trainee doctors, who are on strike or have left the medical field must return to their jobs within 48 hours and work faithfully. Those who violate will be punished in accordance with the Martial Law.
6. Innocent ordinary citizens, excluding anti-state forces and other subversive forces, will be subject to measures to minimize inconvenience in their daily lives.
Violators of the above proclamation may be arrested, detained, and searched without a warrant in accordance with Article 9 of the Martial Law Act of the Republic of Korea (Special Measures Authority of the Martial Law Commander), and will be punished in accordance with Article 14 of the Martial Law Act (Penalties).
Martial Law Commander, Army General Park An-su, Tuesday, December 3, 2024.”
South Korean President Declares Martial Law
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday declared martial law in an unannounced late night address broadcast live on YTN television.
Following Yoon’s announcement, South Korea’s military proclaimed that parliament and other political gatherings that could cause “social confusion” would be suspended, according to the government-funded Yonhap news agency.
The military also said that the country’s striking doctors should return to work within 48 hours, Yonhap said. Thousands of doctors have been striking for months over government plans to expand the number of students at medical schools.
It wasn’t immediately clear how long Yoon’s martial law declaration could stand. Under South Korean law, martial law can be lifted with a majority vote in the parliament, where the opposition Democratic Party holds a majority.
National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik, in an emergency statement released on his YouTube channel, called for all lawmakers to gather immediately at the National Assembly and urged military and law enforcement personnel to “remain calm and hold their positions.”
Yoon did not cite any specific threat from the nuclear-armed North.
The surprise move sent shockwaves through the country, which had a series of authoritarian leaders early in its history but has been considered democratic since the 1980s.
The Korean won was down sharply against the U.S. dollar. A central bank official said it was preparing measures to stabilise the market if needed.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Some 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea to guard against the North. A spokesman for the U.S. military command did not answer repeated phone calls.
It wasn’t immediately clear how Yoon’s step would affect the country’s governance and democracy.
Yoon said he had no choice but to resort to such a measure in order to safeguard free and constitutional order, saying opposition parties have taken hostage of the parliamentary process to throw the country into a crisis.
“I declare martial law to protect the free Republic of Korea from the threat of North Korean communist forces, to eradicate the despicable pro-North Korean anti-state forces that are plundering the freedom and happiness of our people, and to protect the free constitutional order,” Yoon said.
The move drew immediate opposition from politicians, including the leader of his own conservative party, Han Dong-hoon, who called the decision “wrong” and vowed to “stop it with the people.” Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, called Yoon’s announcement “illegal and unconstitutional.”
“Through this martial law, I will rebuild and protect the free Republic of Korea, which is falling into the depths of national ruin,” Yoon said during a televised speech, invoking South Korea’s formal name.
“I will eliminate anti-state forces as quickly as possible and normalize the country,” he said, while asking the people to believe in him and tolerate “some inconveniences.”
The Democratic Party reportedly called an emergency meeting of its lawmakers following Yoon’s announcement.
Epoch Times reporters Andrew Thornebrooke, Jackson Richman, and Samantha Flom, The Associated Press, Reuters, and PA Media contributed to this report.