A police car drives past barricades set up by police at a road leading to the South Korean Presidential Office and the Defense Ministry in Seoul on December 4, 2024, after South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law. Anthony Wallace, AFP

A police car drives past barricades set up by police at a road leading to the South Korean Presidential Office and the Defense Ministry in Seoul on December 4, 2024, after South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law. 

SOUTH KOREA

Agence France-Presse

<p>SEOUL, South Korea -- President Yoon Suk Yeol plunged South Korea into political chaos by imposing martial law and ordering troops and helicopters to parliament, before being forced into a U-turn.</p><p>AFP looks at how a night of extraordinary drama unfolded in a country where democracy had been assumed to be firmly anchored -- and what might happen next after the opposition moved to impeach Yoon.</p><div><strong>- What was the declaration? -</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1733310260783120424_South Korea 1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="A man watches South Korea&#x27;s President Yoon Suk Yeol speak during a news broadcast on a television at a train station in Seoul on December 3, 2024, after he declared emergency martial law, saying the step was necessary to protect the country from &quot;communist forces&quot; amid parliamentary wrangling over a budget bill. Anthony Wallace, AFP"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">A man watches South Korea&#x27;s President Yoon Suk Yeol speak during a news broadcast on a television at a train station in Seoul on December 3, 2024, after he declared emergency martial law, saying the step was necessary to protect the country from &quot;communist forces&quot; amid parliamentary wrangling over a budget bill. <em>Anthony Wallace, AFP</em></span></span></span></strong>Yoon&#x27;s bombshell announcement late Tuesday in an emergency television address to the nation was that for the first time in more than four decades martial law was in force in the country of 52 million people.</div><p>The suspension of civilian rule was to &quot;safeguard a liberal South Korea from the threats posed by North Korea&#x27;s communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements plundering people&#x27;s freedom and happiness,&quot; Yoon said.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2024/12/3/south-korea-president-declares-emergency-martial-law-2202">READ: South Korea president declares emergency martial law</a></div><p>Then a six-point decree from army chief General Park An-su banned political activities and parties, &quot;false propaganda&quot;, strikes and &quot;gatherings that incite social unrest&quot;.</p><p>All media outlets were brought under the authority of martial law and it directed all medical staff, including striking doctors, to return to work within 48 hours.</p><div><strong>- What happened at parliament? -</strong></div><p>Security forces sealed the National Assembly, helicopters landed on the roof and almost 300 soldiers tried to lock down the building, seemingly to prevent lawmakers from getting inside.</p><p>But as parliamentary staffers blocked the soldiers with sofas and fire extinguishers, enough MPs -- some leaping over barriers -- got inside and voted down Yoon&#x27;s move.</p><p>This brought cheers from the hundreds of protesters braving bitter temperatures outside, many waving national flags and chanting for Yoon to be arrested.</p><div><strong>- What did Yoon do then? -</strong></div><p>But several tense hours followed before Yoon appeared on television again at around 4:30 am (1930 GMT Tuesday) to rescind martial law.</p><p>&quot;Just a moment ago, there was a demand from the National Assembly to lift the state of emergency, and we have withdrawn the military that was deployed for martial law operations,&quot; Yoon said.</p><p>Since then he has gone to ground.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2024/12/4/south-korea-back-to-normal-after-short-lived-martial-law-envoy-1118">READ: South Korea ‘back to normal’ after short-lived martial law -- envoy</a></div><div><strong>- What explains Yoon&#x27;s behavior? -</strong></div><script data-wid="auto" type="text/javascript" src="https://content.viralize.tv/display/?zid=AAEyze-tm4MR6kEa&amp;cid=ABRS1N7BTSqWCGJ_&amp;activation=click&amp;vip_mode=playing&amp;vip_position=bottom-right"></script><p>Yoon has been a lame duck president since earlier this year when the opposition Democratic Party (DP) won a majority in parliamentary elections.</p><p>The opposition slashed around 4.1 trillion won ($2.8 billion) from Yoon&#x27;s budget for next year. He complained that &quot;all key budgets essential to the nation&#x27;s core functions&quot; were being cut.</p><p>But these difficulties, combined with special investigations into his wife and dire poll ratings, do not justify martial law, said Gi-Wook Shin, a professor at Stanford University.</p><p>Such a drastic measure &quot;is typically reserved for situations like war, emergencies, or other similar concerns regarding threats to national security,&quot; Shin told AFP.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2024/12/4/south-korean-president-pressed-to-step-down-over-martial-law-bid-1321">READ: South Korean president pressed to step down over martial law bid</a></div><div><strong>- What is next for Yoon? -</strong></div><p>The DP demanded Wednesday that the president resign, saying it would file charges of &quot;insurrection,&quot; against Yoon, his defense and interior ministers and others.</p><p>Six opposition parties filed an impeachment motion, which could be voted on as soon as Friday.</p><p>The opposition holds a large majority in the 300-member parliament and needs only a handful of defections from the president&#x27;s party to secure the necessary two-thirds majority.</p><p>If it passes, Yoon will be suspended pending a verdict by the Constitutional Court which has to rule within 180 days. In the meantime the prime minister steps in as acting president.</p><p>If the president is impeached, a new presidential election must be held within 60 days.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2024/12/3/disbelief-outrage-at-south-korea-s-short-lived-martial-law-0730">READ: Disbelief, outrage at South Korea&#x27;s short-lived martial law</a></div><div><strong>- What has the reaction been abroad? -</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1733310327483120424_South Korea 3.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="A police car drives past barricades set up by police at a road leading to the South Korean Presidential Office and the Defense Ministry in Seoul on December 4, 2024, after South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law. Anthony Wallace, AFP"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">A police car drives past barricades set up by police at a road leading to the South Korean Presidential Office and the Defense Ministry in Seoul on December 4, 2024, after South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law. <em>Anthony Wallace, AFP</em></span></span></span></strong></div><p>South Korea is a key Western ally in Asia, seen as an important democratic bulwark in a region dominated by authoritarian regimes.</p><p>Washington said it was &quot;relieved&quot; martial law was withdrawn but said it &quot;expect(s) political disagreements to be resolved peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law.&quot;</p><p>China, a key ally of nuclear-armed North Korea, urged its citizens to exercise caution, while Russia -- increasingly close to Pyongyang -- called the situation &quot;alarming&quot;.</p><p>Japan, whose historically prickly relations with Seoul have thawed under Yoon, was following the situation with &quot;exceptional and serious concerns&quot;.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

<p>President Yoon Suk Yeol plunged South Korea into political chaos by imposing martial law and ordering troops and helicopters to parliament, before being forced into a U-turn.</p>

President Yoon Suk Yeol plunged South Korea into political chaos by imposing martial law and ordering troops and helicopters to parliament, before being forced into a U-turn.

South Korea: what just happened, and what next? | ABS-CBN

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South Korea: what just happened, and what next?

South Korea: what just happened, and what next?

Agence France-Presse,

Hailey Jo

Published Dec 04, 2024 08:20 PM PHT

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