South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in the country Tuesday, Dec. 3, appointing an army general to serve as martial law commander. Less than three hours later, parliament voted to lift the declaration.
National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik declared that the martial law was “invalid” and that lawmakers “will protect democracy with the people.”
Before parliament lifted the declaration, the martial law commander issued his first order, banning all political activities as well as any acts denying “the liberal democratic system.”
Yoon was narrowly elected in 2022. But his conservative People Power Party has been limited in what it can do. The more liberal Democratic Party holds a majority of seats in the country’s national assembly.
Before the martial law declaration, the two parties had been squaring off in a showdown over the country’s budget. And Yoon faces a personal scandal of his own.
He and his wife face accusations of inappropriately influencing the People Power Party’s choice of candidate for a special election. It’s part of an alleged deal between Yoon and a pollster. In the alleged deal, Yoon would receive free polling if the pollster’s candidate of choice ran in the election.
In declaring martial law, Yoon accused the opposition of unfairly controlling the national assembly and being a “pro-North Korean force.”
The last time South Korea was under martial law was 1980, when the country was also under military rule. As a safeguard against another military regime, the national assembly can vote to lift martial law with a majority vote. The assembly voted within three hours to lift martial law on Tuesday.
Both the opposition Democratic Party and members of Yoon’s own People Power Party said they plan to block Yoon from continuing martial law.
The Democratic Party’s leader Lee Jae-myung, who ran against Yoon in the close 2022 election, urged members of his party to go to the parliament building and vote to abolish the order.
But as lawmakers and the public converge on the building, local media reports show police buses have moved in to block the entrance.
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