South Korean President Yoon Seok Yeol declared martial law in the country on December 3. He stated that this is necessary to protect the constitutional order. According to CNN, this is the first time since the 1980s that martial law has been imposed in the country.
About a hundred protesters gathered near the parliament building, law enforcement officers surrounded the entrance. People are trying to break inside, local media reported. Employees of the legislative body also block the black entrance. Eyewitnesses noticed military equipment on the streets of Seoul, special forces are erecting barricades.
The commander of the South Korean army Park Ahn Syu was appointed to be responsible for martial law. As the Yonhap agency writes, based on the decree of the military command in the country:
- banned any political activity;
- suspended the work of political parties;
- banned political actions.
In addition, all media and publishing houses are now under state control. Doctors participating in the strike must return to work within 48 hours. Violators of martial law face arrest.
Later, clashes with protesters began near the building of the National Assembly of the Republic in the capital.
KBS News
As KBS News reported, the South Korean parliament later passed a resolution calling for martial law to be lifted. 190 MPs out of 190 who took part in the vote spoke in favor of the decision. At the same time, the military stormed the assembly building. According to the South Korean Constitution, the president must revoke the martial law decree after a vote by the parliament.
Later, the Speaker of the Parliament Wu Won Shik reported that the military had left the National Assembly building.
- In late November 2024, the opposition Democratic Party of South Korea, which has a majority in parliament, rejected the governmentʼs budget proposal and decided to impeach the state auditor and the chief prosecutor.
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