South Korea’s national assembly has voted to dam President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law, as lawmakers and the top of state wrestle for control of the country.
In a televised address on Tuesday night, Yoon announced “emergency” martial law and accused the leftwing majority in parliament of plotting riot and harbouring North Korean sympathies.
State television showed live footage early on Wednesday local time of soldiers in search of to dam large crowds from entering the parliament constructing at the same time as lawmakers inside voted to dam Yoon’s decree.
In response to the country’s structure, a parliamentary vote can reverse a declaration of martial law but it surely was not immediately clear whether Yoon would comply.
Han Dong-hoon, the leader of Yoon’s own People Power party, called on the military to face down within the aftermath of the vote.
“Martial law has lost its effect,” he posted on social media. “So from this moment on, all state institutions exercising physical force, including the military and police of the Republic of Korea, are obligated to not follow illegal or unfair instruction.”
The office of the speaker of the national assembly said afterward Tuesday that troops had withdrawn from the assembly constructing.
The martial law declaration banned “all political activities, including those of the national assembly, local councils, political parties” and demonstrations.
It added that “all media and publications might be subject to the control of the martial law command”.
Yoon, a hardline former chief prosecutor whose popularity had plunged to record lows in recent months, said he would “eliminate anti-state forces as quickly as possible and normalise the country”.
His declaration of martial law was the primary because the 1987 introduction of democracy in South Korea, which was ruled by rightwing military governments after the tip of the Korean war within the Fifties.
The president, who has praised past military leaders for his or her economic achievements, has been accused by opponents of reviving the country’s authoritarian tradition.
After winning election in 2022 by a margin of lower than one percentage point, his poll rankings fell amid a slowing economy and political gridlock. His PPP was resoundingly defeated by the left in parliamentary elections in April and one poll last week put his approval rating at just 19 per cent.
The confrontation between Yoon and his leftwing rivals is the culmination of long-simmering tensions. Opposition leaders say they’ve been persecuted by prosecutors allied with the president.
Yoon said on Tuesday night that opposition attempts to question his administration’s senior officials had forced his hand by paralysing the state.
He pledged to “eradicate pro-North Korean forces and protect the constitutional democratic order”, but didn’t elaborate on how martial law could be enforced.
He asked the South Korean people to consider in him and tolerate “some inconveniences” as he accused the opposition of plotting riot.
“President Yoon declared emergency martial law for no reason,” said Lee Jae-myung, leader of the opposition Democratic Party of Korea, on Tuesday night. “Tanks, armoured vehicles and soldiers with guns and swords will soon control the country.”
Kim Pil-sung, managing partner at Seoul-based firm Garosu Law, said that with the national assembly having rejected Yoon’s martial law declaration, “the hot button is the military’s next move”.
“If the military sides with Yoon, this could possibly be a coup d’état,” said Kim, who has advised opposition parties on policy matters.
“But the likelihood doesn’t appear to be high, because military generals have seen their predecessors from the past get punished for treason even after coups that were successful,” he added.
A former high-ranking South Korean army officer noted that several hours after martial law officially got here into force, telephone, web and mobile communications were still operational, while the country’s state-owned media outlet had continued to report opposition lawmakers’ fierce criticism of the move.
“In the event that they were really serious about enforcing martial law, all of the communications would have been cut, there could be a media blackout, a curfew, and opposition members of the national assembly would likely have been arrested,” said the previous officer.
“While we cannot rule out the situation deteriorating, this offers me the impression that this might just be a political gambit by the president to rally rightwing forces behind him,” they added. “But whether it is, then it’s incredibly silly.”
Yoon’s move could complicate relations with the US, South Korea’s most significant ally.
US deputy secretary of state Kurt Campbell said Washington was watching with “grave concern” and was engaging with the South Korean government “at every level”.
He added that President Joe Biden and his top officials were being kept abreast of the situation.
“I do wish to underscore that our alliance with the Republic of Korea is ironclad, and we stand by Korea of their time of uncertainty,” Campbell said.
“I also want to simply underscore that we’ve every hope and expectation that any political disputes might be resolved peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law.”
Seoul is a critical US ally. Biden hosted Yoon and his Japanese counterpart at Camp David last 12 months in an effort to spice up co-operation between Seoul and Tokyo, to assist counter the rise of China.
The South Korean currency slumped nearly 3 per cent to a two-year low, before recovering to trade 1.3 per cent down at 1,422 to the US dollar.
Latest York-listed shares in South Korean corporations fell at Tuesday’s opening, with steelmaker Posco and retailer Coupang each down greater than 4 per cent by early afternoon.
“This will not be a standard thing to occur in a developed economy,” said Lee Hardman, a currency analyst at MUFG, adding that he expected the won to return under further pressure.
Last week the opposition majority in parliament vote to chop almost $3bn from Yoon’s proposed 2025 budget, a move seen as an try to rein within the presidency.
Accusing Yoon of authoritarian tendencies, the leftwing parties focused their proposed cuts on the office of the president, national prosecutors and the police.
Additional reporting by Mari Novik
