Seoul [South Korea], December 3: South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol declared “emergency martial law” on Tuesday, accusing the opposition of orchestrating an insurgency aimed at overthrowing the country’s democratic foundation, as reported by The New York Times.
In a televised address to the nation, President Yoon criticized the opposition for using its majority in the National Assembly to impeach key members of his cabinet and obstruct the passage of critical budget plans, actions he claimed had “paralyzed the administration.”
“The National Assembly, which should have been the foundation of free democracy, has become a monster that destroys it,” Yoon stated, according to The New York Times.
As reported by Al Jazeera, Yoon vowed to restore democratic stability through martial law. “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,” he announced.
The president justified this drastic measure as a necessary step to protect the nation’s freedom and security, adding, “This is an unavoidable measure to ensure the freedom and safety of the people and guarantee the sustainability of the nation against the unrest stirred by these subversive, anti-state elements.”
This announcement marks a historic moment, as it is the first time martial law has been declared in South Korea since the military dictatorship ended in the late 1980s.
The move comes amid escalating political tensions, particularly between Yoon’s conservative government and the liberal opposition Democratic Party. Disputes over the budget bill for the upcoming year have fueled months of conflict, further intensifying the nation’s political divide.
In response, the Democratic Party has convened an emergency meeting, calling the declaration of martial law a grave threat to the nation’s democratic fabric, as per Al Jazeera.
As South Korea grapples with this unprecedented political crisis, the world watches closely, raising concerns over the implications for the country’s democratic future.