The President of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, in his television address to the nation late at night on Tuesday, the 3rd of December, declared the imposition of an “emergency martial law,” and claimed that the representatives of the opposing Democratic party are sympathetic to North Korea and their anti-national activities are impaling the government of South Korea and its proceedings. In his address, he promised to eradicate the shameless pro-North Korean anti-state forces during this martial law. This article brings you all the details about why South Korea declared Martial Law on Monday and the drama that unfolded in the country after that.
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Why Did South Korea Declare Martial Law: President’s Statement
The President of South Korea, in his address, explained that he does not have any other choice in his hands other than to declare Martial Law in order to protect the constitutional order of the country. He accused the opposing party of being anti-nationalists who are sympathetic to North Korea and have taken over the parliamentary process of the nation. He mentioned that he would be eradicating the anti-state forces as quickly as possible and normalizing the country and urged the people of the nation to tolerate a few “minor inconveniences.”
The Real Reason
The National State Assembly elections, which were held this year, significantly reduced Yoon’s power in the parliament as the opposition now held the majority. He could not pass the bills he wanted and was reduced to vetoing the ones presented by the opposition. This is what Yoon meant by “paralyzing State affairs.” He has also been facing many issues since the start of his tenure in 2022 which includes various scandals. One such scandal which significantly damaged his reputation was his wife reportedly being involved in “influence peddling” where she was accused of stock manipulation and receiving a Dior bag in return.
Opposition’s Reaction
The opposition of South Korea immediately dismissed Yoon’s decision, and one of the major leaders of his own party, Han Dong-hoon, in his statement, called the decision of the President wrong and vowed that he would do his best to stop it with the people. Lee Jae-Myung from the Democratic party, called Yoon’s Martial Law imposition illegal as well as unconstitutional. The law was immediately reversed by a parliamentary vote late at night.
Conclusion
As the Martial Law was reversed after 6 hours by the lawmakers of the country, the people and the opposition are now demanding Yoon’s resignation from the Presidency. According to Han Dong-Hoon, the defense minister who suggested the imposition of Martial Law should also hand in his resignation. The opposition also mentioned that if he doesn’t respond to their demands for resignation, they will go ahead with the impeachment process for his removal. Yoon has not officially responded to the demand, but it is reported that Yoon’s senior presidential advisers, as well as secretaries, have offered a collective resignation, and he has canceled his official Wednesday schedules.
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