South Korean protesters hold a banner that read "we condemn Yoon Suk Yeol's illegal martial law" during a rally against President Yoon Suk Yeol at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on December 4, 2024, after martial law was lifted. Photo / AFP
South Korean protesters hold a banner that read "we condemn Yoon Suk Yeol's illegal martial law" during a rally against President Yoon Suk Yeol at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on December 4, 2024, after martial law was lifted. Photo / AFP
KEY POINTS
South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol lifted martial law hours after imposing it, following parliamentary opposition.
Yoon justified martial law by citing threats from North Korea and “anti-state forces” in the nation’s parliament.
The move sparked protests, and 190 lawmakers voted unanimously to block and lift the declaration.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol shocked Koreans and the international community when he made the surprise declaration of martial law during an unannounced late-night television address on Tuesday night, as most South Koreans prepared to go to sleep.
Yoon justified martial law by citing threats from North Korea and “anti-state forces” in the South’s parliament.
This was a highly unusual move – in fact, it was South Korea’s first martial law declaration in more than 40 years.
According to the President, opposition parties had taken the parliamentary process hostage.
South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol speaks during the declaration of emergency martial law at the Presidential Office on Tuesday in Seoul. Photo / Getty Images
“To safeguard a liberal South Korea from the threats posed by North Korea’s communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements plundering people’s freedom and happiness, I hereby declare emergency martial law,” Yoon said in a live televised address to the nation about 10.30pm local time.
He did not give any details of the North’s threats, but the South remains technically at war with nuclear-armed Pyongyang.
“Our National Assembly has become a haven for criminals, a den of legislative dictatorship that seeks to paralyse the judicial and administrative systems and overturn our liberal democratic order,” Yoon said.
He also complained of 22 impeachment motions filed against administration officials since he took office in May 2022.
Following the announcement, army chief General Park An-su took charge as martial law commander under the earlier order and immediately issued a decree banning “all political activities”, about 11pm local time.
Besides banning political activity and restricting the media, the martial law decree also ordered striking doctors back to work.
Those who violate martial law could be arrested without a warrant, the decree stated.
Why did he quickly back down?
The South Korean President’s announcement was met with widespread consternation and the President was forced to reverse his decision within a matter of hours.
As thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the parliament, South Korean lawmakers quickly gathered to vote against martial law, as both opposition lawmakers and leaders of Yoon’s own party decried it as unconstitutional. Some of the lawmakers had to force their way past soldiers in order to get into the parliamentary building to vote against the decree. In the end, the country’s parliament unanimously voted against the martial law.
A Woman fights off a soldier in front of the parliament building in South Korea. pic.twitter.com/0hgI8KrcGA
With all 190 lawmakers present voting to lift the decree, the President was forced to pull his troops back as, under the country’s constitution, martial law must be lifted when a majority in Parliament demands it.
In the end, the martial law lasted about six hours.
Below is the full text of his martial law declaration, which details what the martial law decree included and what powers it would have given the president, had it gone ahead:
“In order to protect liberal democracy from the threat of overthrowing the regime of the Republic of Korea by anti-state forces active within the Republic of Korea and to protect the safety of the people, the following is hereby declared throughout the Republic of Korea as of 23:00 on December 3, 2024:
1. All political activities, including the activities of the National Assembly, local councils, and political parties, political associations, rallies and demonstrations, are prohibited.
2. All acts that deny or attempt to overthrow the liberal democratic system are prohibited, and fake news, public opinion manipulation, and false propaganda are prohibited.
3. All media and publications are subject to the control of the Martial Law Command.
4. Strikes, work stoppages and rallies that incite social chaos are prohibited.
5. All medical personnel, including trainee doctors, who are on strike or have left the medical field must return to their jobs within 48 hours and work faithfully. Those who violate will be punished in accordance with the Martial Law.
6. Innocent ordinary citizens, excluding anti-state forces and other subversive forces, will be subject to measures to minimise inconvenience in their daily lives.
Violators of the above proclamation may be arrested, detained, and searched without a warrant in accordance with Article 9 of the Martial Law Act of the Republic of Korea (Special Measures Authority of the Martial Law Commander), and will be punished in accordance with Article 14 of the Martial Law Act (Penalties).
Martial Law Commander, Army General Park An-su, Tuesday, December 3, 2024.”
What happens now?
Those few hours of turmoil have left South Korea in deep political crisis.
As it stands, North Korea is very much still in limbo. Opposition parties have submitted a motion in the National Assembly to impeach the President. A vote on that motion could happen as early as ... well, today.
Regardless of what happens next, support for the South Korean President is at an all-time low, even though he is only in the second year of a five-year term.
South Korea’s largest progressive union representing millions of workers calls for an indefinite general strike until Yoon resigns pic.twitter.com/GWFGsgwZ5n
His latest decree has not done much for his popularity, with both the opposition party and the leader of Yoon’s own party speaking out against his declaration.
While Yoon is a conservative, the country’s National Assembly is controlled by the centre-left Democratic Party, which means Yoon’s political agenda is somehow gridlocked.
Could Yoon Suk Yeol be impeached?
It’s entirely possible. The opposition parties that submitted the call for his impeachment hold 192 out of 300 seats in the National Assembly. To pass the impeachment, they will need a two-thirds majority, meaning 200 out of 300 votes. As some members of his own party voted to overturn his martial law decree, it is not impossible that they will vote to impeach him.
The impeachment will then have to be approved by the majority of the nine justices in South Korea’s constitutional court.
What does this mean for New Zealanders in South Korea?
New Zealanders in South Korea are being urged to register with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade told RNZ this week it was monitoring the situation closely.
“New Zealanders are advised to avoid all demonstrations, monitor the media to keep up to date with developments and follow the advice of local authorities,” the ministry said.
They said 88 New Zealanders were registered as being in South Korea, 28 of them in Seoul.
“We have not received any request for consular assistance.”
- with agencies
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