Summary
- Authorities declared martial law in an unannounced late-night broadcast.
- The Korean won fell against the dollar.
- Yoon stated that opposition parties have taken parliament hostage.
On Tuesday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law during an unannounced late-night address broadcast live on YTN television. He claimed that he would eradicate “shameless pro-North Korean anti-state forces.”
This is the first time martial law has been declared in South Korea since 1980. The military told Yonhap news agency that it would ban activities by parliament and political parties, and place media and publishers under the control of the martial law command.
Yoon did not mention any specific threat from the nuclear-armed North, instead focusing on his domestic political opponents. The surprise move shocked the country, which had experienced a series of authoritarian leaders in its early history but has been considered democratic since the 1980s. The Korean won dropped sharply against the U.S. dollar, and a central bank official stated that it was preparing measures to stabilize the market if necessary.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. About 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea to defend against the North. A spokesman for the U.S. military command did not respond to repeated phone calls.
Yoon stated that he had no choice but to take this measure to protect free and constitutional order, accusing opposition parties of hijacking the parliamentary process and plunging the country into a crisis.
“I declare martial law to protect the free Republic of Korea from the threat of North Korean communist forces, to eliminate the despicable pro-North Korean anti-state forces that are undermining the freedom and happiness of our people, and to safeguard the free constitutional order,” Yoon said.
Yoon did not immediately identify who he considered the pro-North Korean anti-state forces, but he has previously accused such forces of obstructing his agenda and destabilizing the country.
Yoon did not specify the exact measures that would be implemented in his address. Yonhap reported that the entrance to the parliament building had been blocked.
“Tanks, armored personnel carriers, and soldiers with guns and knives will rule the country,” said Lee Jae-myung, leader of the opposition Democratic Party, which holds a majority in parliament, during a livestream online. “The economy of the Republic of Korea will collapse irretrievably. My fellow citizens, please come to the National Assembly.”
Yoon referenced a motion by the opposition Democratic Party this week to impeach some of the country’s top prosecutors and its rejection of a government budget proposal.
On Monday, South Korea’s ministers protested the opposition DP’s move last week to cut more than 4 trillion won from the government’s budget proposal. Yoon argued that this action undermines the essential functioning of government administration.
