South Korea is under a state of martial law. President Yoon Suk Yeol initiated this action after he accused the opposition party, which controls the National Assembly, of creating a “den of legislative dictatorship” that paralyzed the country. That paralysis has interfered with national security matters. President Yoon said that the opposition’s use of impeachment and special investigations has led to this moment.
Mr. Yeol, in keeping with his oath of office, declared an emergency state of martial law. The announcement was condemned by the opposition and the head of Yeol’s party, the People Power Party. Regardless, all political activities and gatherings are now prohibited. Anyone who violates the president’s decree is subject to arrest (via CBS News):
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared an "emergency martial law" Tuesday, accusing the country's opposition of controlling the parliament, sympathizing with North Korea and paralyzing the government with anti-state activities. The announcement drew hundreds of protesters to the South Korean parliament.
"To safeguard a liberal South Korea from the threats posed by North Korea's communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements... I hereby declare emergency martial law," Yoon said in a live televised address to the nation.
"With no regard for the livelihoods of the people, the opposition party has paralyzed governance solely for the sake of impeachments, special investigations, and shielding their leader from justice," he added.
South Korea's National Assembly was sealed Tuesday after Yoon's declaration, the country's Yonhap news agency reported. Helicopters were seen landing on the roof of the building in Seoul, in live television footage aired by broadcasters.
Hundreds of people gathered at the South Korean parliament early Wednesday to protest. TV footage showed police officers blocking the entrance of the National Assembly and helmeted soldiers carrying rifles in front of the National Assembly's main building to restrict the entrance of people.
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"All political activities, including those of the National Assembly, local councils, political parties, and political associations, as well as assemblies and demonstrations, are strictly prohibited," he said, adding: "All media and publications shall be subject to the control of the Martial Law Command."
The military also said that the country's striking doctors should return to work within 48 hours, Yonhap said. Thousands of doctors have been striking for months over government plans to expand the number of students at medical schools.
The leader of Yoon's conservative People Power Party, Han Dong-hoon, called the decision to impose martial law "wrong" and vowed to "stop it with the people." Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, called Yoon's announcement "illegal and unconstitutional."
South Korea has undergone not one but three military dictatorships—all of which have left the country better off. The most consequential was Park Chung Hee’s presidency, which lasted from 1962 to 1979. Before his assassination in 1979 by the head of his intelligence service, President Park is credited for the Miracle on the Han River, developing the South Korean economy into a powerhouse, shifting away from its agrarian roots into the trillion-dollar G-20 economy it is today.
UPDATE: It might be over already. As the military reportedly tried to enter the building, the National Assembly voted to lift the martial law declaration. I don't get how the legislative body 'votes' on martial law stuff, but you'd think Yeon would have had units inside the building from the start, along with some way to jam communications within Seoul. These are messy initiatives, and he should have been better prepared.
UPDATE II: Korean military says the martial law declaration is still in effect (via WaPo):
South Korean military officials say the martial law will remain in place until President Yoon Suk Yeol lifts it himself despite parliament’s majority vote against it, according to local media outlet YTN.