Headline Roundup • December 3rd, 2024
South Korean President Declares Martial Law, Parliament Blocks It
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Yoon Suk Yeol, the President of South Korea, declared martial law, citing threats from North Korean communist forces and internal 'anti-state' forces. Hours later the parliament voted to lift the martial law declaration.
The Details: Yoon declared martial law in a television address, leading to protests outside of parliament. Both the ruling party and opposition voted to block the president's declaration. The announcement came as disagreements continued to unfold between Yoon's People Power Party and the opposition Democratic Party over the proposed budget for the coming year. Yoon is now facing an impeachment vote.
Key Quotes: "I declare martial law to protect the Republic of Korea from the threats of North Korean communist forces, to immediately eradicate the unscrupulous pro-Pyongyang anti-state forces that pillage the freedom and happiness of our people and to protect free constitutional order,” Yoon said, adding that the opposition's move to cut over two billion from the budget was a ploy to paralyze the government. Han Dong-hoon, the leader of Yoon’s People Power Party, disagreed with Yoon as did the opposition party. “There is no reason to declare martial law. We cannot let the military rule this country,” opposition leader Lee Jae-myung said.
For Context: As an emergency measure, martial law implies temporary rule by military authorities during times of crisis when civil authorities are deemed incapable of normal functioning. The last imposition of martial law in South Korea occurred in 1979 after the assassination of dictator Park Chung Hee. An editor wrote this summary with the help of AllSides AI.
Featured Coverage of this Story
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law late on Tuesday as he accused the country's main opposition party of being overly sympathetic to North Korea and other "anti-state" activities.
Opposition leaders called the move unconstitutional and vowed to fight back. Parliament passed a motion requiring Yoon to lift his declaration. Photos and videos showed parliamentary staffers spraying fire extinguishers at armed marial law forces as they tried to breach the building.
JUNG YEON-JE / AFP via Getty
morning by declaring a state of “emergency martial law” because “subversive, anti-state elements” among the opposition are blocking his agenda.
Martial law has not been declared in South Korea since it emerged from military dictatorship in the 1980s.
“I declare martial law to protect the Republic of Korea from the threats of North Korean communist forces, to immediately eradicate the unscrupulous pro-Pyongyang anti-state forces that pillage the freedom and happiness of our people and to protect free constitutional order,” Yoon said in an emergency press conference from his office in Seoul.
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BBC
South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol has declared emergency martial law, which he says is necessary to protect the country from North Korea's communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements
Lawmakers have since voted to block the president's move, after both the ruling party and opposition vowed to obstruct the declaration
Protests have been taking place outside parliament, with the BBC's Jake Kwon hearing chants of “no to martial law” as police sirens ring out
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