South Korean president will lift martial law after parliament votes to block it
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said he will lift a martial law declaration after the country’s National Assembly voted to block it on Tuesday, Dec. 3. Just hours after President Yeol had declared martial law, members from both of South Korea’s largest political parties made it through police blockades at the parliament building to vote and override the declaration.
South Korean law allows the National Assembly to override a president declaring martial law by a majority vote. All 190 members present voted to lift martial law.
After the vote, cameras captured footage of soldiers who had been blocking the building’s entrance leaving the area.
Yoon faced scandals after he and his conservative People Power Party won a narrow election in 2022. The more liberal Democratic Party has a majority in the National Assembly.
That has led to an ongoing budget showdown and an argument over the potential firing of prosecutors who are investigating opposition leader Lee Jae-myung.
Yoon and his wife also face accusations of inappropriately influencing the People Power Party’s choice of candidate in a special election. It’s part of an alleged deal between Yoon and a pollster, where Yoon would receive free polling in exchange for the pollster’s candidate of choice running in the election.
South Korea’s constitution allows a president to declare martial law in wartime or emergency situations. The country has not activated martial law since 1979, when the country was under military rule.
Yoon accused the opposition of being a “pro-North Korean force.”
The first order after Yoon declared martial law banned political activities and tightly limited what media were allowed to report.
The leader of Yoon’s own party agreed with opposition leaders, saying Yoon’s decision to declare martial law was wrong.
Protesters assembled outside the National Assembly almost as soon as Yoon first declared martial law. Now that parliament has overruled the declaration, protesters are calling for Yoon’s impeachment.
A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council says President Joe Biden did not receive advanced notice about Yoon’s declaration. The White House said it was “seriously concerned” by what was happening in Seoul.
South Korea’s economy has already taken a hit as worldwide markets react to the country’s instability. The country’s currency, the won, has fallen sharply versus the U.S. dollar.
South Korean president sparks protests, declares ’emergency martial law’
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.
2,000 North Korean soldiers moving toward Ukraine front: Report
Approximately 2,000 North Korean soldiers have completed military training in eastern Russia and are being deployed to western regions near the Ukrainian border, according to reports from Ukrainian military sources and Japan’s Kyodo News. These troops are expected to be stationed in the Kursk region, where Russian forces have been repelling Ukrainian incursions since August.
An advance team of about 10 North Korean officers arrived in the Kursk region earlier this month to establish a base for receiving the North Korean soldiers. These troops are reportedly traveling by train and other means to support Russia’s ongoing war effort in Ukraine.
Exclusive – Newly obtained footage from Russia's Sergievsky Training Ground showing North Korean troops being outfitted in Russian gear in preparation for deployment to Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/01Z4jZIiOe
On Wednesday, Oct. 23, U.S. officials confirmed that at least 3,000 North Korean soldiers have been training at Russian military facilities in the east of the country since early to mid-October. This follows reports from South Korea’s intelligence agency, which observed troop transport ships traveling between North Korea’s Wonsan seaport and Vladivostok, Russia.
According to South Korean intelligence, North Korea may send up to 12,000 personnel, including special operations forces, to Russia by December.
In June, the Russian parliament ratified a mutual defense pact with North Korea, which requires both nations to provide military assistance if either is attacked. Western officials suggest that rising casualties on the battlefield have prompted Russia to seek help from North Korea.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby expressed concerns over the movement of North Korean troops, noting that while it remains unclear if they will engage directly in combat, their deployment could have significant implications for the conflict’s trajectory.
Meanwhile, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol stated his government is reviewing the possibility of sending offensive arms to Ukraine, depending on developments involving North Korean troops in Russia. South Korea has previously provided nonlethal aid to Ukraine.
North Korea threatens to nuke South Korea if sovereignty challenged
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un threatened to use nuclear weapons if South Korea or its allies attempt to encroach on North Korea’s sovereignty, state media reported Friday, Oct. 4. Kim’s comments followed South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s warning that any nuclear aggression from the North would lead to the collapse of Kim’s regime due to a “resolute and overwhelming” response from the U.S.-South Korea alliance.
During South Korea’s Armed Forces Day earlier this week, Yoon showcased the Hyunmoo-5 ballistic missile, capable of targeting the North, and emphasized the strength of the military alliance with the U.S.
In response, Kim mocked Yoon, calling him “abnormal,” and dismissed South Korea’s conventional weapons as no match for North Korea’s nuclear arsenal. He reiterated that the North would use “all offensive forces, including nuclear weapons,” if provoked.
The exchange of threats comes amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, with North Korea continuing its missile tests and South Korea conducting joint military exercises with the U.S. North Korea’s provocative actions include the disclosure of a nuclear facility and ongoing efforts to bolster its military capabilities.
Observers expect that North Korea’s parliament will soon formally declare a two-state system on the Korean Peninsula, rejecting reconciliation with the South and codifying new national borders.
Animosities between the two Koreas have reached their worst point in years, with communication channels frozen since 2019 when U.S.-North Korea diplomacy over the North’s nuclear program collapsed.
North Korea, which has conducted six underground nuclear tests, claims it has sufficient fissile material to build dozens of nuclear weapons.
Since adopting an escalatory nuclear doctrine in 2022, Kim has repeatedly threatened preemptive nuclear strikes. Experts believe it is unlikely he would use them first, as the North’s military remains outmatched by U.S. and South Korean forces.
Trash-filled balloons from N. Korea reach S. Korean president’s offices
For the ninth time since May, North Korea sent a round of trash-filled balloons to South Korea. However, for the first time, the balloons landed in South Korea’s presidential compound, violating a no-fly zone protecting the president on Wednesday, July 24.
The latest action by Pyongyang is raising even greater security concerns for the South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. The breach into the president’s offices in Seoul prompted the country’s security service to dispatch its “chemical, biological and radiological team” to pick up the balloons.
Although South Korean government officials said that none of the trash contained hazardous materials, they explained that the objects were not shot down in order to prevent the spread of the contents within the balloons. South Korean residents are routinely warned not to touch fallen balloons and to report them to law enforcement. The contents of the balloons have varied from soil filled with human feces and manure, to wastepaper and cigarettes.
North Korea has sent thousands of waste-filled balloons in retaliation for South Korean activists and North Korean defectors sending over anti-Pyongyang leaflets and the South Korean government blasting K-Pop recordings along a demilitarized zone between the nations.
A previous batch of balloons on Thursday, July 18, prompted Seoul to blast K-Pop on its loudspeakers near the border for 10 hours on Friday, July 19. K-Pop and K-Drama are banned by North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.
World leaders condemn attempted assassination of Donald Trump
Reaction regarding the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump is pouring in from across the world. Both allies and rivals of Trump condemned the attack on Saturday, July 13.
On Sunday, July 14, President Joe Biden addressed the U.S. from the Oval Office, saying the country needs to turn down the temperature.
“Thankfully, former [President] Trump is not seriously injured,” he said. “I spoke with him last night and I’m grateful he’s doing well. Jill and I keep him and his family in our prayers.”
Biden also said he sent his prayers to the man killed, Corey Comperatore. He was a father of two who died shielding his family from the bullets.
“I am appalled by the shocking scenes at President Trump’s rally and we send him and his family our best wishes,” The United Kingdom’s new prime minister, Keir Starmer, wrote on X. “Political violence in any form has no place in our societies and my thoughts are with all the victims of this attack.”
In a post to X, French President Emmanuel Macron said he is sending wishes to the former president for a speedy recovery.
“My thoughts are with President Donald Trump, the victim of an assassination attempt,” Macron wrote. “I send him my wishes for a speedy recovery. A spectator has died, several are injured. It is a tragedy for our democracies.”
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he is relieved Trump is now safe and that this kind of violence “has no justification and no place anywhere in the world.”
“President Xi Jinping has expressed sympathies to former President Trump for the shooting incident,” China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement onSunday. “We wish Mr. Trump and all the injured a speedy recovery.”
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol also condemned the shooting Sunday.
“I am appalled by the hideous act of political violence. I wish former President Trump a speedy recovery,” Yoon wrote on X. “The people of Korea stand in solidarity with the people of America.”
India’s Prime Minister Modi said he is deeply concerned by the attack on his “friend, former President Donald Trump.” He said he strongly condemns the incident.
“Violence has no place in politics and democracies,” Modi wrote.
In Russia, the Kremlin said Moscow does not believe the shooting was orchestrated by the Biden administration but that “the atmosphere created around Trump provoked the attack.” The Kremlin also added that President Vladmir Putin does not plan on calling Trump.
Putin has been widely accused and condemned for numerous political rivals being assassinated or jailed under his watch. In February, Alexei Navalny, a top political opponent who had survived previous poisoning attacks, died in a Russian jail.
The attempted assassination of former President Trump remains under investigation.
‘Dior bag scandal’: Video of alleged graft threatens S. Korea president’s reelection
A hidden camera allegedly captured South Korean first lady Kim Keon-hee accepting a lavish bag as a gift from Korean American Pastor Choi Jae-young. The incident, dubbed the “Dior Bag Scandal,” has become a flashpoint in South Korea’s political culture as President Yoon Suk Yeol’s conservative People’s Power Party (PPP) seeks to recapture the majority in the country’s upcoming Parliamentary elections.
The Dior bag allegedly given to Kim is reportedly worth $2,250, and it may be a violation of an anti-bribery law in South Korea. The law prohibits any government official from accepting a gift of more than $751, according to the Korea Law Translation Center.
The man who gifted Kim the bag, Pastor Choi, is an advocate for reunifying North and South Korea, according to The New York Times. President Yoon’s administration has said that while unification had been a goal, it will not pursue reunification until North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is no longer in power.
In July, Yoon’s unification minister, Kim Yung-ho, said the ministry had focused too much on providing aid for North Korea in the past and needed to change.
South Korea’s reunification minister is reportedly a conservative scholar and outspoken critic of human rights abuses in North Korea, which President Yoon is hoping to spotlight as tensions rise on the Korean Peninsula.
Yoon has been laser-focused on North Korea, as nuclear tests by adversary Kim Jong Un have caught the attention of South Korea and its allies.
In addition to enhanced aggression from North Korea, Yoon’s administration is dealing with unexpectedly slow economic growth in South Korea. Economists polled by Reuters blame the country’s high interest rates and national debt for a sluggish expansion of the economy.
Piling on top of South Korea’s challenges, Yoon is now forced to face issues in his personal life. The controversy around accusations his wife accepted an unlawful gift has captured the attention of voters.
According to The New York Times, Choi secretly filmed the encounter with a spy camera in a wristwatch. The video claims to show Choi visiting South Korea’s first lady in her personal office and gifting her a swanky bag. The New York Times also reports that Choi became motivated to expose Kim after a meeting with her. Choi said he overheard a conversation in which she appeared “to be playing the role of a senior government official.”
President Yoon and first lady Kim remain silent on the alleged gift scandal. However, members of Yoon’s own party have urged him and his wife to apologize, while others have questioned the timing of the recent release of the 2022 video. At the same time, the Times revealed the majority of South Korean voters surveyed want Yoon’s apology, an investigation, and believe, if true, the acceptance of the gift would be wrong.
Reuters reported that by maintaining his silence on the incident, Yoon is creating a situation that may end up costing PPP the April 10 election, according to analysts.
“It’s a political bombshell,” Rhee Jong-hoon, a political analyst, told Reuters. “The Kim Keon Hee risks are only going to get bigger.”
Yoon won a close presidential race in 2022 but his party remains in the minority in Parliament, which is controlled by the Democratic Party.
Some of Yoon’s political allies say that Kim is the victim, and the hidden camera incident is an example of an illegal plot to set her up and smear Yoon’s campaign. However, at least one expert said public sentiment doesn’t appear to be on the couple’s side.
“The general public thinks, ‘Okay, it may be a trap, but what did she take (the bag) for anyway?’ Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University, told Reuters.
The political ramifications of the alleged gift acceptance by Yoon’s wife are far-reaching. Yoon is a staunch ally of the United States and Japan. Both countries have diplomatically and militarily shown their support for South Korea, as aggression from North Korea remains a concern for the foreseeable future.
South Korean opposition leader stabbed, attacker arrested as cameras record: The Morning Rundown, Jan. 2, 2024
An attacker stabs the leader of South Korea’s opposition party during a press event. And a plane with nearly 400 people on board catches fire while landing in Japan. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024.
Political leader in South Korea stabbed on livestream
The leader of South Korea’s opposition Democratic party continues to recover this morning after being wounded in a stabbing that was live-streamed just hours ago. Lee Jae-Myung was stabbed in the neck during a visit to the country’s southern city of Busan.
This type of violence must never be tolerated under any circumstances.
President Yoon Suk Yeol
Lee was touring the site of a proposed airport in South Korea when the video showed the assailant wearing a paper crown with Lee’s name on it approaching him. Police say the suspect asked Lee for an autograph and then stabbed him in the neck with a 7-inch knife.
The video shows the 66-year-old attacker being taken down and restrained by several in the crowd. Photographs from the scene show Lee on the ground with people pressing a handkerchief against his neck. He was taken to a hospital for emergency treatment; health officials said his injuries appeared to be non-life-threatening. Lee narrowly lost the 2022 presidential election to Yoon Suk Yeol. The president condemned the attack in a statement from his office.
Get up to speed on the stories leading the day every weekday morning. Get The Morning RundownTM newsletter straight to your inbox!
“This type of violence must never be tolerated under any circumstances,” Yoon Suk Yeol said.
Lee is currently on trial for bribery allegations. He has denied any wrongdoing. The stabbing suspect’s motives remain under investigation.
Japan earthquake kills at least 48 on New Year’s Day
At least 48 people have been killed after a 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck Japan on New Year’s Day. Rescue teams continue to attempt to reach isolated areas where buildings were toppled, and fires are burning in hopes of finding more survivors.
The Japanese government said there are around 120 cases of people awaiting rescue. The afternoon quake led to tsunami waves striking Japan’s western coast, sending people fleeing for higher ground. The earthquake knocked out power to tens of thousands, damaged rail services, and forced the closure of an airport due to cracks in its runway. Japan’s meteorological agency is reporting roughly 200 aftershocks have been detected and warning more tremors could strike in the coming days following the country’s deadliest earthquake since 2016.
Airplane catches fire on runway in Japan
Also in Japan, a new video, this morning shows a plane with nearly 400 people aboard catching fire as it skids down the runway after local media reports it crashed into another aircraft while landing. The video shows the Japan Airlines plane engulfed in flames at the airport in Tokyo around 6 p.m. local time on Tuesday, Jan. 2, with firefighters working to extinguish the blaze.
Officials said the plane collided with a Coast Guard aircraft, local media has reported that most of the Coast Guard crew was killed. The airline said all 379 passengers and 12 crew members were safely evacuated.
Sources: Illegal crossings at U.S. border reach historic numbers
Illegal crossings at the southern border saw record high numbers last month, according to sources with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Fox News reported that sources said more than 302,000 migrants were documented attempting to cross the border in December, making it the highest total ever recorded for a single month, as well as the first time the total has surpassed the 300,000 mark.
The historic numbers come as Texas continues to send migrants to cities run by Democratic mayors; Gov. Greg Abbott’s, R, office said the operation is an effort to force the Biden administration to secure the border.
Over the holiday weekend, New Jersey officials said 13 charter buses carrying nearly 450 migrants from Texas on their way to New York City were detoured to New Jersey in an apparent attempt to bypass an executive order passed last week by New York City Mayor Eric Adams, D, limiting when charter bus companies can drop off migrants in the city and requiring 32-hours advanced notice. Officials said once in New Jersey, bus chaperones assisted the migrants in transferring to trains or other buses headed to New York.
Deadly upstate New York New Year’s morning crash being investigated as possible terrorism
Two people are dead and several others injured after a crash outside of a concert venue in Rochester, New York, in the early morning of Monday, Jan. 1. According to law enforcement, the crash is being investigated as possible terrorism.
The collision happened just before 1:00 a.m. on New Year’s Day; police said a Ford Expedition barreled through an Uber that was leaving a parking lot at the Kodak Center, bursting into flames, killing two passengers and injuring the Uber driver. The fiery crash spilled into a nearby crosswalk, hitting pedestrians and two other vehicles; according to police, three people using the crosswalk were hit, one left with life-threatening injuries, and two suffering non-life-threatening injuries.
Law enforcement said the driver of the Ford, a Syracuse man, was transported to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. Police said he rented the large SUV from the Syracuse airport, and after firefighters were able to put the fire out, they found at least a dozen gas cans in and around the SUV.
The Joint Terrorism Task Force is leading an investigation. While authorities don’t yet know if the crash was terrorism, they said it is being investigated as such until they can determine what happened and why.
‘Steamboat Willie’ Mickey Mouse enters public domain
Straight Arrow News reporter Simone Del Rosario explained that it is the day Disney has dreaded for decades and spent considerable capital trying to avoid. You can find Simone’s full report here on Public Domain Day.
North Korea launches ICBM during NATO summit, after threatening US
North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Wednesday, July 12, the same day leaders of South Korea and Japan met at the NATO summit. According to Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, the missile reached an altitude of 3,728 miles, and set a record for North Korean missiles with a 74-minute flight time.
“The government has provided information to aircraft and ships navigating in the vicinity, as well as related organizations, and has not confirmed any damage reports at this time,” Matsuno said Wednesday. “A telephone discussion between Japan, the United States and South Korea at the foreign ministry director-general level had just taken place. The government will respond in close cooperation with the United States, South Korea and the international community, including at the United Nations Security Council and will continue to do our utmost to collect, analyze and monitor information to protect the lives and property of the people.”
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol convened an emergency National Security Council meeting at the NATO summit in response to North Korea’s missile launch. President Yoon vowed to use the summit to call for strong international solidarity to confront such threats.
“We condemn North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs, including its latest missile launch,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said. “This violates multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions and poses a threat to regional and global security.”
“The door has not closed on diplomacy, but Pyongyang must immediately cease its destabilizing actions and instead choose diplomatic engagement,” National Security Council spokesperson Adam Hodge said in a Wednesday statement. “The United States will take all necessary measures to ensure the security of the American homeland and Republic of Korea and Japanese allies.”
US submarine arrives in South Korea amid drills, missile launch
A nuclear-powered submarine from the United States arrived in South Korea on Friday, June 16. The USS Michigan’s arrival at the southeastern port city of Busan was the first of its kind in six years.
The submarine is one of the biggest in the world. It can be armed with 150 Tomahawk missiles with a range of about 1,550 miles, and is capable of launching special forces missions.
With the arrival of the submarine, the U.S. and South Korean navies can conduct drills on boosting their special operation capabilities. The South Korean Defense Ministry did not say how long the USS Michigan would stay in South Korean waters.
The arrival of the submarine is part of a recent bilateral agreement between South Korea and the U.S. on enhancing “regular visibility” of U.S. strategic assets to the Korean Peninsula. On Thursday, June 15, the two countries performed joint live-fire drills near South Koreas border with North Korea. The drills were the latest step in countering the growing threat of North Korea’s advancing nuclear program.
“It is false peace when you depend on the enemy’s good faith. The real peace is when we defend our national security with our own strengths,” South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said Thursday. “Only a strong military — which can fight and defeat the enemy and which the enemy can’t even dare to challenge – can guarantee the freedom, peace and prosperity of the Republic of Korea.”
In response to the live-fire drills, North Korea fired two short-range ballistic missiles off its east coast. They were the first weapons North Korea launched since it tried to put its first spy satellite into orbit in late May.
“These launches are a clear violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions, and they demonstrate the threat of DPRK unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs pose to the region, to international peace and security, and to the global nonproliferation regime,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Thursday. “I will also note that today the United States imposed sanctions on two DPRK individuals for supporting the DPRK’s unlawful weapons of mass destruction and missile program.”