policy
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on Tuesday and vowed to eliminate “anti-state” forces as he battles an opposition that controls the country's parliament and which he accuses of colluding with communist North Korea to sympathize.
The surprise move harkens back to an era of authoritarian leaders the country has not seen for the reason that Eighties and was immediately denounced by the opposition and the leader of Yoon's own conservative party.
After Yoon's announcement, the South Korean military said it could suspend parliament and other political gatherings that might cause “social confusion,” in response to the state-funded Yonhap news agency.
The military also said the country's striking doctors should return to work inside 48 hours, Yonhap said. Thousands of doctors have been on strike for months over the federal government's plans to extend the number of scholars at medical schools.
It was not immediately clear how long Yoon's declaration of martial law would last. Under South Korean law, martial law might be lifted with a majority vote in parliament, where the opposition Democratic Party has a majority. Television footage showed law enforcement officials blocking the doorway to the National Assembly.
The leader of Yoon's conservative People Power Party, Han Dong-hoon, called the choice to impose martial law “wrong” and vowed to “finish it with the people.” Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who narrowly lost to Yoon within the 2022 presidential election, called Yoon's announcement “illegal and unconstitutional.”
Yoon said during a televised address that martial law would help “rebuild and protect” the country from “plunging into the depths of national ruin.” He said he would “eradicate pro-North Korean forces and protect the constitutional democratic order.”
“I will eliminate anti-state forces as soon as possible and normalize the country,” he said, urging people to consider in him and tolerate “some inconveniences.”
Yoon – whose approval rating has fallen in recent months – has struggled to push his agenda against an opposition-controlled parliament since taking office in 2022.
Yoon's party is at an impasse with the liberal opposition over next 12 months's budget. The opposition has also attempted to file motions to question three top prosecutors, including the top of the Seoul Central District Prosecutor's Office. Conservatives are calling this a vendetta against their criminal investigation into Lee, who’s seen in opinion polls as the favourite to win the following presidential election in 2027.
Yoon also rejected calls for an independent investigation into scandals involving his wife and top officials, drawing swift, sharp rebukes from his political rivals. Following Yoon's announcement, the Democratic Party reportedly called an emergency meeting of its lawmakers.
Yoon's move marks the primary declaration of martial law for the reason that country's democratization in 1987. The country's last martial law was imposed in October 1979.
image credit : www.boston.com