President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea imposed “emergency martial law” on Tuesday, accusing the opposition of dominating the parliament, harboring North Korean sympathies, and immobilizing the administration through anti-state actions.
Yoon promised to “eradicate pro-North Korean forces and protect the constitutional democratic order” when he made the statement during a televised briefing. The immediate impact of Yoon’s action on the nation’s democracy and governance was unclear.
Politicians, including Han Dong-hoon, the leader of his own conservative party, immediately opposed the action, calling it “wrong” and vowing to “stop it with the people.
Yoon’s announcement was deemed “illegal and unconstitutional” by opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who lost the 2022 presidential election to Yoon by a slim margin.
Using South Korea’s official name, Yoon declared in a broadcast speech, “I will rebuild and protect the free Republic of Korea, which is falling into the depths of national ruin, through this martial law.” I will eliminate anti-state forces as quickly as possible and normalize the country,” he stated, encouraging the people to believe in him and suffer “some inconveniences.
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