Shock in Seoul as South Korea’s President declares martial law
Critics label the decree an illicit attempt by an unpopular President to wrestle political control away from rivals.
Dramatic scenes reminiscent of the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis are playing out in the streets of Seoul tonight as military vehicles, helicopters, and special forces descend upon South Korea’s parliament following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law.
The ruling party and the opposition united in an emergency caucus to counter the shocking late-night Presidential decree and appear to have succeeded in voting it down. The unanimous vote to abolish the order occurred under serious duress however, as lawmakers, staffers, and citizens clashed with special forces at the assembly's entrance and in its corridors. Clips show aides forming barricades, spraying armed soldiers with fire extinguishers, and hitting the intruders with flagpoles in a desperate attempt to defend the parliament.
Despite backing off the national assembly after the vote, reports indicate that the military will not respect the parliamentary decision, stating that only the President can reverse the order.
Under the austere decree, all political activities – including demonstrations, party gatherings, and activities of the national assembly – are banned. The nation’s media is also under stringent censorship and all publications, including foreign outlets, will be subject to intervention by South Korean authorities. Any violators may be arrested without warrant.
Despite the intimidating provisions, news outlets in South Korea are continuing to provide uncensored coverage of the events and thousands of citizens have taken to the streets in protest. Many across South Korea fear that if martial law goes into effect uncontested, it could mark the end of the nation’s time as a free and prosperous democracy.
Martial law has often been a tool utilised by despots in South Korea’s past to consolidate control, but has not been seen in 44 years, last appearing in 1980 when the regime of Chun Doo-hwan crushed a pro-democracy uprising. At that time, roughly 1000 were killed, and while movement was quelled many historians believe the event spurred the creation of the democratic state in 1987 which has persisted to this day.
President Yoon Suk Yeol has justified his late-night declaration of martial law on the grounds that the nation’s parliamentary left-wing has been infiltrated by North Korean operatives and “communists”. Yoon has yet to provide evidence to this effect, and critics are lambasting the decree as an illicit attempt by an unpopular President to wrestle political control away from his rivals.
The drastic move comes after weeks of contention between Yoon and the left-wing majority over domestic budget cuts. The opposition’s proposal aimed to reduce the President’s influence by cutting off funding from his office, the national prosecutors and the police.
Yoon’s authority has also been shaky since April following his party's poor performance in this year’s parliamentary elections.
While world leaders have yet to release statements on the anti-democratic development, traders were quick to respond. The South Korean won fell sharply in forex trading as sell orders hit the global currency market.
Fears over North Korean aggression are justified given the hermit-kingdom’s recent provocative manoeuvres on the border, nuclear-annihilation threats, ballistic missile tests, and involvement in deploying soldiers to the Ukraine War. However, it appears that Yoon’s martial law declaration is far from a national security necessity, and is instead a convenient ploy from an increasingly unpopular leader, desperate to cling onto his slipping power.
Josh Schlicht
Reaction Reporter
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Concerning Korea, the situation in East Asia is extremely complicated and requires 5-6 pages to come to grips with it. I would be careful before blaming Yoon for what is going on.