On 3 December, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yol issued a decree declaring martial law in the country, which was, however, rejected by the members of the National Assembly. Although the president is obliged to abide by the legislature's decision, the military has said it will continue to enforce martial law until it is lifted by Yun.
In a televised address, the president accused the country's main opposition party of sympathy for North Korea and anti-state activities and declared martial law.
The president did not announce what specific measures would be taken. He cited a proposal by the opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in parliament, to suspend senior prosecutors and reject the government's budget proposal.
Yun described the opposition's actions as "blatant anti-state behaviour aimed at inciting rebellion." He also claimed that these actions had "paralysed state affairs and turned the National Assembly into a den of criminals".
The head of state described martial law as a necessary measure to root out these "shameless pro-Pyongyang anti-state forces". He justified the decision as necessary to protect the freedoms and safety of the people, to ensure the sustainability of the country and to pass on a stable state to future generations.
"The National Assembly has become a monster undermining liberal democracy and the nation is in a precarious state teetering on the brink of collapse. We will eliminate the anti-state forces and restore normalcy to the country as quickly as possible," the President assured.
Live television footage showed helmeted soldiers, apparently tasked with imposing martial law, attempting to enter the parliament building and parliamentary aides trying to repel the soldiers by spraying them with fire extinguishers.
In the end, in the vote in parliament, 190 out of 300 MPs voted against Yun's decree.
Although the military withdrew from the parliament building after the decree was not passed by the National Assembly, they said they would continue to enforce the measure.
"Martial law "will remain in effect until lifted by the president," military officials said.
The US expressed "grave concern" about the situation and called for a solution that followed the "rule of law", AFP reported.
"We are watching the latest developments in South Korea with grave concern," Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said.
"We have every hope and expectation that all political disputes will be resolved peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law. I want to emphasize that our alliance with the Republic of Korea is ironclad, and we stand with Korea in a time of uncertainty," he added.
The UN, for its part, said it was following "very closely and with concern" the political turmoil in South Korea.
"The situation is evolving rapidly," said Stephane Juaric, a spokesman for the organisation's secretary of state, Antonio Guterres.
Russia, a close ally of North Korea, also said it was alarmed by the tense situation.
Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov said, "The situation is alarming. We are monitoring it closely." | BGNES
