South Korea’s Parliament voted to block President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration, but martial law remains in effect.
The United States said it was “seriously concerned” after South Korea, one of Washington’s closest allies, unexpectedly declared martial law, with President Joe Biden briefed on the situation during his visit to Angola.
The White House said it had not been notified in advance of the move made overnight, NZ time, by President Yoon Suk Yeol, adding that it was in contact with the Government in Seoul and was monitoring the situation “closely”.
“We are seriously concerned by the developments we are seeing on the ground in the ROK [Republic of Korea],” a spokesman for the White House’s National Security Council said.
“I’m just getting briefed,” Biden told reporters travelling with him in Angola, where he arrived this week for his first visit to sub-Saharan Africa as President.
“I’m just getting briefed on” the situation in South Korea, Biden told reporters on Wednesday. Photo / Jason Walls
Yoon’s stunning announcement was South Korea’s first declaration of martial law in more than 40 years.
He said he was acting to protect the country from “threats” posed by North Korea and accused the opposition of being “anti-state forces”.
Russia calls martial law declaration ‘concerning’
The Kremlin said the situation in South Korea after the declaration of martial law was “concerning” and it is paying close attention, Interfax news agency reported.
President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the agency: “We are watching closely”.
South Korea’s Parliament voted overwhelmingly to block Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration, though the military has said that martial law “will remain in place until lifted by the president”. Photo / Getty Images
UK govt ‘closely monitoring’ situation
The UK government urged Britons to avoid political demonstrations in South Korea.
“That is a very fast-moving situation and, as you would expect, we are closely monitoring developments in South Korea,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s deputy spokesperson told reporters.
“We would advise all British nationals to monitor the UK’s travel advice for updates and follow the advice of local authorities,” he added.
The foreign ministry has updated its travel alerts for South Korea, warning British nationals to “avoid political demonstrations”.
Chinese embassy urges citizens in South Korea to exercise ‘caution’
China’s embassy in Seoul has warned its citizens to exercise “caution” after the imposition of martial law.
It advises Chinese nationals to “remain calm, monitor developments in South Korea’s political situation, enhance safety awareness, limit unnecessary outings, exercise caution when expressing political opinions”.
South Korean soldiers try to get into the national assembly in Seoul after Yoon Suk Yeol announced he was enacting temporary rule by the military, during a televised speech overnight, saying it was critical for defending the country's constitutional order. Photo / AFP
Yoon last month met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in person for the first time in two years on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru, where he called for greater cooperation with Beijing on “regional peace and stability”, the Yonhap news agency reported.
China is a key ally of North Korea, with whom Seoul remains technically at war and whose leader Kim Jong Un has engaged in escalatory rhetoric and military posturing this year.
UN watching ‘very closely and with concern’
The United Nations is monitoring the political upheaval in South Korea “very closely and with concern”, a spokesman told reporters.
Stephane Djuarric, spokesman for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters. “The situation is evolving quickly”.
Washington stations about 28,500 troops in South Korea to protect it from North Korea, its nuclear-armed neighbour.
The US and South Korea have long carried out joint exercises, infuriating the North, which views them as rehearsals for invasion and has frequently conducted weapons tests in retaliation.
Biden has also fostered the relationship between Washington, Seoul and Tokyo as a bulwark against North Korea and an increasingly assertive China.
South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung speaks at the National Assembly after lawmakers voted to lift the declaration of emergency martial law announced earlier by President Yoon Suk Yeol in a televised speech. Photo / Getty Images
The US State Department echoed the White House concern, with Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell stating that Washington has “every hope and expectation that any political disputes will be resolved peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law”.
“I do want to underscore that our alliance with the ROK is ironclad, and we stand by Korea in their time of uncertainty,” he said.
South Korea’s Parliament voted overwhelmingly in the early hours of Wednesday to block Yoon’s declaration, though the military has said that martial law “will remain in place until lifted by the president”.
“Certainly it is our hope and expectation that the laws and regulations of a particular country are abided by. That does include the National Assembly vote,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel told reporters.
Yoon has been a close ally of the US, with Biden welcoming him on a state visit last year and South Korea in March hosting a global democracy summit, a signature idea of the outgoing US administration.
After Donald Trump’s election victory in November, the South Korean President congratulated the Republican, saying he hoped to work closely with the incoming US administration.
