This is what you need to know about the South Korean president’s call for martial law
He South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law on Tuesday and accused the opposition of paralyzing parliamentary activity and carrying out “anti-state” activities and being a “pro-North Korean” force.
In a few hours The military took over the Parliament buildinghowever legislators met to vote to reject the state of siege which, according to South Korean law, would bring down martial law and the president’s attempted self-coup leaving him on the brink of resignation.
Thousands of people gathered in front of parliament and police buses blocked the main entrance to the compound. “Lift martial law, protect democracy,” protesters shout. Some also shout “impeach President Yoon.”
If the military maintains martial law despite the parliamentary vote, they would be endorsing a coup d’étatotherwise they should lift it by removing all support from Yoon and leaving him virtually powerless.
The context of the self-coup
The conservative leader Yoon is in the midst of a sharp drop in his approval and popularity and has had multiple difficulties in imposing his government program.which has led to a jump in his confrontation with the main bloc of the parliamentary opposition, the Democratic Party (PD), and the Bonapartist turn of this Tuesday declaring martial law and taking the military out into the streets, who prohibited all political activity and surrounded parliament to close it.
The Yonhap news agency reported that members of the National Assembly had been banned from entering the building, and that the South Korean military had announced the suspension of all parliamentary activities. The Army also banned all political actions, announcing that they would suspend political meetings and arrest people who violate martial law.
The Army also targeted the doctors who are on strike and ordered them to return to work within 48 hours. Thousands of doctors have been on strike for months over government plans to expand the number of students in medical schools.
He president had announced the implementation of this measure through a televised speechin which he accused the opposition of carrying out “activities that plan a rebellion” and said that martial law is intended to “protect the constitutional order” from “anti-state” activities.
It is The announcement comes after the PD, which has a majority in the National Assembly (Parliament), approved without the support of Yoon’s ruling People’s Power Party (PPP) a general budget for 2025 with multiple cutsin addition to motions to dismiss the attorney general and the head of the Audit and Inspection Board, in charge of auditing the accounts of public organizations.
Following the announcement, the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), Park An-su, was appointed commander under martial law, and has indicated that the activities of the National Assembly and political parties are prohibited, the Yonhap agency reported.
Park An-su said in a statement that “All political activities are prohibited in South Korea following the imposition of martial law on Tuesday and all media outlets will be subject to government surveillance. All political activities are strictly prohibited, including those of the National Assembly, local councils, political parties and political associations, as well as meetings and demonstrations. All media and publications will be subject to the control of the martial law command.”
With martial law imposed, all military units in South Korea, which is technically still at war with North Korea, have been ordered to reinforce their posts and be under emergency siege.
Despite having closed parliament, According to South Korean law, legislators cannot be detained by the martial law command and the government has to lift martial law if the majority of the national assembly demands it. in a vote.
Prime Minister Han Dong-hoon himself, of the president’s conservative party, has promised to stop the imposition of the law and Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in parliament, has also expressed his opposition to it. .
This is what happened overnight when 190 of the 300 parliamentarians present approved a motion demanding the lifting of martial law declared by President Yoon Suk Yeol.
Woo Won-sik, speaker of the National Assembly, said the emergency martial law declaration is “invalid” following lawmakers’ vote to lift the decree, according to CNN.
“The president should immediately lift emergency martial law after the vote in the National Assembly,” Won-sik reportedly said. “Now, the declaration of emergency martial law is invalid.”
After the vote, local media announced that the military began to leave the vicinity of Parliament, but they are waiting for the vote to be vetoed by the president.
Source: www.laizquierdadiario.com
