In this handout image provided by the South Korean presidential office, South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol speaks during the declaration of emergency martial law at the presidential palace in Seoul, South Korea, on December 3, 2024.
South Korean presidential palace | Getty Images
South Korean President Yun Seok-Yeol declared martial law in a surprise late-night televised speech on Tuesday, accusing the opposition party of sympathizing with North Korea and controlling the parliament.
“I declare martial law to protect the free Republic of Korea from the threat of the North Korean communist army, to eradicate the despicable pro-North Korean anti-national forces that are plundering the freedom and happiness of the people, and to protect the free constitution. “I have given the order,” Yun said on the country’s YTN news channel, Reuters reported.
Yun did not say how martial law – military authorities temporarily governing in times of emergency when civilian authorities are deemed unable to function – would affect the country’s governance and democracy. . A key ally of the United States in the region.
There were no reports of tanks or soldiers on the streets in the capital Seoul or elsewhere in the country.
This is the first time martial law has been declared in South Korea since 1980.
Yun’s conservative government Appointed in 2022But he has struggled to push his agenda through the opposition-controlled parliament, and his approval ratings have plummeted in recent months due to various controversies.
On December 3, 2024, police stand guard in front of the main gate of the National Assembly in Seoul after South Korean President Yun Seok-Yeol declared emergency martial law.
Jung Young Jae | AFP | Getty Images
His People Power Party has clashed with the liberal opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in parliament, over next year’s budget. Democrats are also pushing for impeachment of some government officials.
According to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency, Yoon’s party representative Han Dong-hoon has vowed to block the declaration.
Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung said martial law would lead the country to “irrecoverable collapse” and called on the people to come to the National Assembly.
“Tanks, armored personnel carriers, soldiers with guns and knives will rule the country,” said Lee Jae-myung, leader of the opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in parliament, according to Reuters.
This is breaking news. Please check the development status again.
