South Korea lifted martial law after parliament voted to reject the president

The president of South Korea Yoon Suk YeolEarly on Wednesday the government lifted the martial law it had imposed during a tense political night when soldiers surrounded parliament and lawmakers voted to reject military rule.

Yoon said his government withdrew the troops following a bipartisan parliamentary vote rejecting martial law, and the move was officially lifted around 4:30 a.m. during a Cabinet meeting. In total, martial law was in effect for about six hours.

Why was martial law declared in South Korea?

Late on Tuesday, Yoon imposed martial law in frustration with the opposition, vowing to crack down on “anti-state” forces as they clashed with the country’s parliament and accused them of communist sympathies. North Korea.

Yoon said during a televised speech that martial law will help “rebuild and protect” the country “from falling into the depths of national ruin.” He said he will “completely destroy the forces that support North Korea and protect the democratic order in the constitution.”

“I will eliminate the anti-government forces as soon as possible and normalize the country,” he said, while asking people to believe in him and endure “some inconvenience.”

Under South Korea’s constitution, the president can declare martial law during “time of war, war-like situations or other similar national emergencies” that require the use of military force to maintain peace and order. It was doubtful whether South Korea was currently in such a position.

If martial law is declared, “special measures” may be used to limit freedom of the press, freedom of association and other rights, and the power of the courts.

The constitution also states that the president must take responsibility if the National Assembly wants martial law to be lifted with a majority vote.

Hours later, parliament voted to repeal the declaration, with National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik announcing that lawmakers would “protect democracy for the people.” This decision was passed by 190 out of 300 members of the ruling party and opposition parties, and all were in favor, reported the BBC.

Police and soldiers were seen leaving the Parliament grounds after Woo asked them to withdraw. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the liberal Democratic Party, which holds a majority in the 300-seat parliament, said party lawmakers would remain in the Assembly’s main hall until Yoon formally issued his order.

“Democratic Party lawmakers, including myself and many others, will protect our country’s democracy and future and public safety, lives and property, with our lives,” Lee told reporters.

While announcing his plan to lift martial law, Yoon continued to criticize the parliament’s efforts to impeach key government officials and senior prosecutors. He said lawmakers have engaged in “unconscionable acts of legislative and budgetary manipulation that cripple government operations.”

It appears that hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the Council, holding up banners and calling for Yoon to be impeached. Some protesters clashed with the military ahead of the lawmakers’ vote, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or major property damage. At least one window was broken as soldiers tried to enter the Assembly building. One woman tried but failed to pull a gun on one of the soldiers, while shouting “Aren’t you ashamed!”

The president’s dramatic move harked back to an era of authoritarian leaders the country has not seen since the 1980s, and was immediately criticized by the opposition and Yoon’s party leader.

After Yoon’s announcement, the South Korean military announced that parliament and other political gatherings that could cause “public confusion” would be suspended, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.

The military also said that the country’s doctors who are on strike must return to work within 48 hours, Yonhap said. Thousands of doctors have been on strike for months because of government plans to increase the number of students in medical schools. The military said anyone who violates the law can be arrested without a warrant.

Shortly after the announcement, the speaker of the National Assembly called an emergency statement released on his YouTube channel for all lawmakers to gather in the National Assembly, where the opposition Democratic Party holds the majority. He urged the military and law enforcement to “remain calm and hold their positions.”

All 190 lawmakers who participated in the vote supported the lifting of martial law. Television footage showed soldiers who had been working in parliament leaving the area after the vote.

In the past hours, television footage showed police closing the door of the National Assembly and armed soldiers with guns in front of the building to prevent entry into the building. Dozens of police patrol cars and riot police buses have gathered, the BBC reports.

“Please open the gate, your job is to protect the National Legislature. Why are you doing nothing when members of Parliament are being trampled on?” a middle-aged man shouts to a group of policemen guarding the gate.

An Associated Press photographer saw at least three helicopters, possibly military, arriving inside the Convention grounds, while two or three helicopters circled above the site.

The leader of Yoon’s conservative People Power Party, Han Dong-hoon, called the decision to impose martial law “wrong” and vowed to “stop it with the people.” Lee, the opposition leader who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, called Yoon’s announcement “illegal and unconstitutional.”

A spokesman for the White House National Security Council told CBS News that the Biden administration was not notified in advance of the martial law declaration but was in contact with the South Korean government and “monitoring the situation closely.”

“We are very concerned about the developments we are seeing on the ground in the ROK,” the speaker said, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea.

A White House official told CBS News that President Biden, who is leaving In Angolainformed of this situation.

Washington is stationing about 28,500 troops in South Korea to protect it from North Korea, its nuclear-armed neighbor. Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said there was no effect on US military personnel stationed in South Korea.

“We view the recent developments in the ROK with great concern,” said US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell. “We hope and expect that any political disputes will be resolved peacefully and in accordance with the law.”

Yoon – whose approval rating has dipped in recent months – has struggled to push his agenda against an opposition-controlled parliament since taking office in 2022.

Yoon’s party is locked in the middle of opposition parties over next year’s budget bill. The opposition has also tried to pass proposals to impeach three top prosecutors, including the head of the Seoul District Prosecutors Office, in what conservatives call a vendetta against their criminal investigation of Lee, who has emerged as the favorite in the next presidential election in 2027 in opinion polls.

Yoon also dismissed calls for an independent investigation into scandals involving his wife and senior officials, drawing swift and strong rebuke from his political rivals. The Democratic Party is reported to have called an emergency meeting of its lawmakers following Yoon’s announcement.

Yoon’s move is the first declaration of martial law since the country’s 1987 democratization. The last martial law in the country was in October 1979.

Agence France-Presse contributed to this report.