South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on Tuesday, saying the measure was necessary to protect the country from “North Korean communist forces” amid a heated parliamentary debate over the budget.
“To protect liberal South Korea from threats posed by North Korean communist forces and eliminate elements hostile to the state … I declare emergency martial law,” the president declared live in a live broadcast. surprise televised speech.
“Without concern for the livelihood of the people, the opposition party has paralyzed the government, for the purposes of impeachments, special investigations and to protect its leader from legal prosecution,” the president said.
The surprise intervention comes as Mr. Yoon’s People Power Party continues to battle with the main opposition Democratic Party over next year’s proposed budget.
Opposition MPs approved a significantly reduced budget program last week through a committee.
“Our National Assembly has become a haven of criminals, a den of legislative dictatorship that seeks to paralyze the administrative and judicial systems and overthrow our liberal democratic order,” Yoon said.
He accused the elected representatives of the opposition of cutting “all budgets essential to the primary functions of the nation which are the fight against drug-related crimes and the maintenance of public security (…) transforming the country into a a drug haven and a place of chaos for public safety.
Mr. Yoon went on to characterize the opposition, which holds a majority in Parliament, as “anti-state forces intent on overthrowing the regime.” He assured that his decision was “inevitable”.
“I will restore normalcy to the country by getting rid of these anti-state forces as soon as possible,” the South Korean president added.
