SEOUL: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday (Dec 3) declared martial law in an unannounced late night address broadcast live on YTN television.
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.
He did not say in the address what specific measures will be taken.
Yoon accused the opposition of anti-state activities and said the government administration has been paralysed because of opposition party’s conduct.
Yoon cited a motion by the country’s opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in parliament, this week to impeach some of the country’s top prosecutors and its rejection of a government budget proposal.
Yoon’s conservative People Power Party had been locked in an impasse with the Democratic Party over next year’s budget Bill. He has also been dismissing calls for independent investigations into scandals involving his wife and top officials, drawing quick, strong rebukes from his political rivals.
Yoon also accused opposition lawmakers of cutting “all key budgets essential to the nation’s core functions, such as combatting drug crimes and maintaining public security … turning the country into a drug haven and a state of public safety chaos.”
Yoon — whose approval rating has dipped in recent months — has struggled to push his agenda against an opposition-controlled parliament since taking office in 2022.
The Democratic Party reportedly called an emergency meeting of its lawmakers following Yoon’s announcement, with its leader Lee Jae-Myung calling Yoon’s martial law declaration “unconstitutional”.
Under the Constitution, the president can declare martial law in response to military needs during times of war, armed conflict, a national emergency, or when public safety and order require it.
However, with 170 seats in the 300-member National Assembly, the opposition Democratic Party can revoke martial law with a majority vote.
The parliament will try to nullify Yoon’s martial law but the military may try to arrest members of parliament, Lee said, according to YTN television.
Yonhap news agency reported that the main opposition has called in lawmakers to the National Assembly, but the entrances and exits to parliament were blocked.
The defence ministry has ordered a meeting of key commanders and has urged “strengthened vigilance”, the news agency added.
