South Korean president will lift martial law after parliament votes to block it

Dec 03, 2024

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Ryan Robertson Anchor

By Ryan Robertson (Anchor), Roey Hadar (Producer), Jack Henry (Video Editor)

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.

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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.

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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.

Tags: North Korea, South Korea, South Korean Military, White House, White House National Security Council, Yoon Suk Yeol

RYAN ROBERTSON: South Korea’s national assembly voted to overrule the president’s declaration of martial law.

Just hours after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, members from both of South Korea’s largest political parties made it through police blockades of 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 were blocking the building’s entrance earlier 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’s led to an on-going budget showdown and an argument over the potential firing of prosecutors who are investigating opposition leader Lee Jae-myung.

Yoon and his wife are also accused 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. It hasn’t been activated since 1979, when the country was under military rule.

Yoon accused the opposition of being a, quote, “pro-North Korean force.”

The first order issued 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 the declaration has been overruled, protesters are calling for Yoon’s impeachment.

A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council says President Biden did not receive notice in advance about Yoon’s declaration. The White House said it was “seriously concerned” by what was happening in Seoul.

Local news outlet YTN reports South Korean military officials said they are waiting for President Yoon to respond to the assembly and lift his declaration before they stop enforcing martial law.

South Korea’s economy has already taken a hit as worldwide markets react to country’s instability, with its currency, the won, falling sharply versus the U.S. dollar.

For Straight Arrow News, I’m Ryan Robertson.

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