At approximately 10:25 pm on December 3, 2024 (KST), President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol appeared on national television and declared “martial law” for the first time since 1979. For the next six hours, Koreans remained awake and vigilant all night, watching the chaos unfold and preparing for the worst.
It was 4:30 a.m. on December 4, 2024 (KST), just after 190 of the 190 members of the National Assembly present had voted to block martial law, when President Yoon accepted parliament’s decision, withdrew military forces and presided over a cabinet. meeting to approve the resolution to lift martial law.
President Yoon Suk Yeol withdraws emergency martial law
Considering the current political landscape in Korea, where the democratic parties and other parties, referred to as Yadang or the “opposition party” as a whole – holding a huge majority of 190 of the 300 seats in the National Assembly, could have been “a battle lost from the start”, second Money today.
So, why did President Yoon declare martial law and what will happen next?
In declaring martial law, President Yoon cited “pro-North and anti-state forces” as an issue and has stated that he will “rebuild and defend the free Republic of Korea” by these forces “plundering people’s freedom and happiness”.
Dear citizens. I hereby declare martial law to protect the free Republic of Korea from the threats posed by North Korean communist forces and to eradicate the shameless pro-North and anti-state forces that are plundering the freedom and happiness of our people. This measure is taken to maintain the order of our free constitutional system.
Through this martial law I will rebuild and defend the free Republic of Korea, which teeters on the brink of ruin. To this end, I pledge to completely eliminate anti-state forces that are constantly engaged in destructive acts against our nation. This is an inevitable step to safeguard the freedom and security of our people, ensure the sustainability of our nation against subversive threats, and pass on a fit country to future generations.
I will work expeditiously to eradicate these anti-state forces and restore normalcy to the nation. Although this declaration of martial law may cause inconvenience to law-abiding citizens who uphold the values of the Constitution, I will do my best to minimize these disruptions.
This measure is essential to ensure the lasting continuity of the free Republic of Korea. This does not alter our commitment to contribute to and uphold our responsibilities in the international community.
As your President, I address you with fervor. I place my trust solely in you, the people, and will dedicate my entire being to the defense of the free Republic of Korea. Please believe in me. Thank you.
– President Yoon Suk Yeol
Who are I “pro-North and anti-state forces” difficult? Second BBC KoreaPresident Yoon has taken a much tougher stance on North Korea than previous presidents, and has often called the opposition party “pro-North” without providing specific evidence.
BBC Korea also pointed out that since April 2024, when the opposition party won a landslide victory in the general election, President Yoon has been “in a ‘lame duck’ state of affairs.” AS, When Yoon again expressed dissatisfaction with the opposition party in his statement to the nation while abolishing martial law, the motivation became quite clear.
I urge the National Assembly to immediately cease reckless acts of paralyzing state functions through repeated impeachment, legislative manipulation and budget obstruction.
– President Yoon Suk Yeol
President Yoon’s administration has been unable to pass any of the desired laws, which he called for “legislative manipulation”. Furthermore, in late November 2024, the opposition party proposed a bill to significantly cut the government budget, a type of legislation that the president cannot veto. This, he called it “budget obstruction”.
Most importantly, President Yoon’s approval ratings have plummeted due to his multiple corruption scandals, including the one involving the First Lady and her Dior bag, the opposition party has launched fierce impeachment proceedings against President Yoon’s line of prosecutors, cabinet members and other key personnel for failing to investigate the scandals.
In other words, based on the statements and previous difficulties his administration was facing, BBC Korea reported it “President Yoon had taken this extreme measure in response to a series of policy failures.”
Experts suggest that President Yoon found himself in a situation where he had no choice but to invoke martial law, a form of military rule, as a tactic to defend himself from political attacks.
– BBC Korea
Now that his “extreme measure” has fallen apart, what will happen to President Yoon?
Money Today noted that although President Yoon accepted the National Assembly’s request to abolish martial law, the consequences of his statement are expected to be unfathomable.
Meet Ahn Gwi Ryeong, the tough woman who took on an armed Korean soldier
The opposition party has since said that President Yoon’s declaration of martial law should be subject to charges of “rebellion,” act of armed resistance against state authority. According to Article 60 of the South Korean Constitution, the president is not subject to criminal prosecution during his term, except in cases of rebellion or treason. Therefore, if the rebellion charge is applied to President Yoon, even a sitting president could be prosecuted and punished. For rebellion, the penalty may include the death sentence, life imprisonment, or imprisonment for more than five years.
Even if this charge is not applied, it is very likely that President Yoon will face impeachment proceedings. As of December 4, 2024, the “Impeachment Coalition of National Assembly Members Yoon Suk Yeol” announced their intention to initiate an impeachment motion against President Yoon. Second The JoongAngthe same day the Impeachment Coalition held a press conference at the National Assembly and declared: “President Yoon has opened the door to impeachment” adding, “Now, impeaching President Yoon has become something that must be done.”
We will move forward with the impeachment motion and quickly prepare for what comes after impeachment. Due to the reckless declaration of martial law, the Yoon administration is over. The president and those around him have clearly demonstrated how unconstitutional and undemocratic they are.
– Impeachment coalition of National Assembly members Yoon Suk Yeol
