South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol lifted this Tuesday evening, following the recommendations of the South Korean Parliament, the martial law that he himself had proclaimed a few hours earlier to protect the country from “North Korean communist forces “.
An unexpected turnaround. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced the lifting of martial law overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, a few hours after proclaiming it, accusing the opposition of constituting “forces hostile to the state.” This announcement aroused concern and disapproval from the United States, Seoul's main ally against North Korea and China.
This about-face followed a vote by the South Korean Parliament, dominated by the opposition, in favor of lifting martial law, despite pressure from the military but with the support of demonstrators who shouted “Stop Yoon Suk Yeol !”
The government finally approved the lifting of this exceptional measure during the night, said the national Yonhap agency, shortly after a statement by the president on television which announced that the troops deployed in Seoul were going to return to the barracks.
“There was a request from the National Assembly to lift the state of emergency, and we proceeded with the withdrawal of the soldiers who had been deployed for martial law operations. We will comply with the National Assembly's request and lift martial law at a government meeting,” Yoon Suk Yeol explained.
Martial law declared a few hours earlier
The South Korean parliament was placed under seal on Tuesday according to the South Korean news agency Yonhap and helicopters landed on its roof after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law. “To protect liberal South Korea from the 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 surprise televised address.
Martial law is the establishment in a country of a legal state of exception, within which the army ensures the maintenance of order in place of the police or in collaboration with the latter. It is the head of state who “invokes” martial law, which means that the chief of staff of the armed forces takes power for a limited time. This type of legal norm is comparable to a certain extent to a state of siege.
The surprise intervention came as Yoon Suk Yeol'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.
“forces hostile to the State”
“Our National Assembly has become a refuge for criminals, a den of legislative dictatorship that seeks to paralyze the administrative and judicial systems and overthrow our liberal democratic order,” Yoon Suk Yeol said. “Without concern for the livelihood of the people, the opposition party paralyzed the government, for the purposes of impeachments, special investigations and to protect its leader from legal prosecution,” the president added.
He had also 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 paradise of drugs and in a place of chaos for public safety. Yoon Suk Yeol went on to describe the opposition as “forces hostile to the state intending to overthrow the regime.” He assured that his decision was “inevitable”.
Protesters in front of parliament
Hundreds of people flocked to parliament in South Korea to protest the imposition of martial law, according to footage broadcast live on television. “Open the door, please. Your job is to protect the National Assembly. Why do you stand idly by while MPs are trampled?” a man shouted at a group of police guarding the doors of parliament.
“I will restore normalcy in the country by getting rid of these forces hostile to the State as soon as possible,” insisted the South Korean president. For its part, the army assured that it “will enforce martial law until it is lifted by the president”.
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