Martial Law in South Korea: In South Korea today (December 3, 2024), President Yoon Suk Yol has declared emergency martial law, accusing the opposition of controlling parliament, sympathizing with North Korea and engaging in activities that cripple the government. The announcement, made during a televised briefing, reflects South Korea’s ongoing political crisis and is a turning point for South Korea.
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President Yoon Suk-yol, who has faced repeated challenges from the opposition-controlled National Assembly since taking office in May 2022, has described the move as necessary to safeguard the country’s constitutional order. However, these implications for governance and democracy are unclear.
The opposition had made allegations
The announcement comes a month after the Democratic Party of Korea-led opposition demanded the impeachment of President Yoon over alleged abuse of power. The opposition said the president wanted to avoid impeachment by imposing martial law. Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung warned that martial law could lead to “complete dictatorship”, pointing to historical examples of its abuse.
Yoon accused of spreading lies
In response, Yoon’s office dismissed the allegations as fabricated propaganda and accused the opposition of spreading lies to influence public opinion. Prime Minister Han Duk-soo also denied the claims, stressing that South Koreans would not accept such a move.
Relations deteriorated in 1987
The strained relations between Yoon and the opposition had already reached a boiling point when Yoon became the first president to not attend the inauguration ceremony of a new parliamentary term since 1987. His office cited ongoing parliamentary investigations and threats of impeachment as the reason for his absence.
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