South Korean president declares martial law, parliament lifts it again

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law, a kind of emergency, on Tuesday. He accuses the opposition of controlling parliament, sympathizing with North Korea and paralyzing the government with “hostile activities”. Yoon made the announcement during a televised speech in which he vowed to “eradicate pro-North Korean forces and protect the constitutional democratic order.”

Top general Park An-su then announced that all political activities would be suspended. This includes parliament, but also local councils and the operation of political parties. Meetings and demonstrations are also prohibited. In addition, the media would come under military authority.

According to the South Korean news agency Yonhap, all employees would be denied access to parliament. Images show the army blocking access to parliament. Thousands of demonstrators have gathered in front of the entrance gate, despite the local time of 2 a.m.

In a last-minute session, the members of parliament present passed a resolution demanding the lifting of martial law. Under South Korean law, the president must respect such a resolution and lawmakers cannot be arrested during martial law.

Budget law

Yoon, whose popularity has fallen in recent months, has struggled to push his agenda in an opposition-controlled parliament since taking office in 2022. For example, Yoon’s conservative People Power Party is in conflict with the liberal opposition Democratic Party over the budget law.

The president has also been named in several scandals involving his wife and top officials. The opposition accuses his wife of corruption and political influence and demands an investigation, but the president has so far been able to avoid this.

Strong criticism

The Democratic Party called an emergency meeting immediately after the president’s speech, but access to parliament was blocked by police. Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, to whom Yoon narrowly lost in the 2022 presidential election, called the measure “illegal and unconstitutional.”

But the president is also receiving strong criticism from his own party: party leader Han Dong-hoon calls the decision “a mistake” and promised to “reverse it”.

US President Joe Biden is in contact with the South Korean government and is “closely monitoring the situation”. A spokesperson told the American news medium this CBS.

Normally, such martial law is temporarily declared when civil authorities can no longer function normally due to a state of emergency. For example, this law can expand the power of the army. The last time martial law was declared in South Korea was in 1979, after the assassination of then-president Park Chung Hee.