President Yoon had described the opposition, which has a majority in Parliament, as “forces hostile to the state”
The announcement of this martial law came against a backdrop of heated parliamentary debate on the budget. “Our National Assembly has become a refuge for criminals, a den of legislative dictatorship which seeks to paralyze the administrative and judicial systems and to overthrow our liberal democratic order,” declared President Yoon, accusing 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 drug paradise and a place of chaos for public safety. Mr. Yoon went on to characterize the opposition, which holds a majority in Parliament, as “forces hostile to the state intending to overthrow the regime.” “I will restore normalcy to the country by getting rid of these anti-state forces as soon as possible,” added the South Korean president.
