South Korean President Yoon Announces Martial Law in Unexpected Decision

Seol (Eurotoday) – In a late-night, unannounced televised address, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, saying he would eliminate “shameless pro-North Korean anti-state forces.”

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol described martial law as a critical measure to eradicate the “shameless blank” rel=”noopener”>pro-North anti-state forces.” He explained the decision as essential to protect the freedoms and safety of the people, ensure the country’s sustainability, and pass on a stable nation to future generations. The action comes as Yoon’s People Power Party and the leading opposition Democratic Party continue to clash over next year’s budget bill.

For the first time ever, martial law had been declared in South Korea since the 1979 military coup d’état after the killing of the then South Korean dictator Park Chung-hee, and the first since democratization in 1987. This is the 17th martial declaration since the constitution of the government in 1948. 

As reported by South Korea’s YTN TV, Yoon Suk Yeol blamed the opposition for diverting the nation into a “drug haven” and creating a state of confusion detrimental to public safety and livelihood. He also expressed the Democratic Party was endeavoring to overthrow the liberal democratic system, declaring,

“The National Assembly has become a monster undermining liberal democracy, and the nation is in a precarious state, teetering on the edge of collapse.”

How is the opposition responding to Yoon’s martial law?

On the other hand, South Korea’s major opposition, the Democratic Party, has called on all its legislators to gather at the National Assembly, the country’s legislative body. Its chief, Lee Jae-myung, has called on the public to assemble at the assembly. He said:

“Tanks, armoured personnel carriers and soldiers with guns and knives will rule the country. The economy of the Republic of Korea will collapse irretrievably. My fellow citizens, please come to the National Assembly.”

Moreover, the parliament speaker is travelling to parliament and preparing to convene a session. However, it is reported that the entrance to parliament is barred and lawmakers are unable to enter. According to South Korean law, the administration must lift martial law if the majority of the National Assembly requests a vote. The same law also forbids martial law commands from stopping lawmakers.


Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Last News

Helicopters Collide, Killing 2, Amid Fires and Fear in Greece

Helicopters Collide, Killing 2, Amid Fires and Fear in Greece

Last Wednesday, three Greek firefighters lost their lives while battling wildfires in Crete and the Peloponnese, a southern Greek peninsula.
The fire around Porto Germeno on the Gulf of Corinth, approximately 60 kilometers northwest of Athens, had diminished by Saturday. However, strong winds up to 130 kilometers per hour pushed the flames over a mountain to the south, reaching Veniza, closer to t

Read More

Mark Van Bommel Appointed as Belgium National Team Head Coach

Mark Van Bommel Appointed as Belgium National Team Head Coach

Brussels, July 24 Eurotoday Newspaper — Belgium national team news is dominated by the appointment of Mark van Bommel as the new head coach of the Red Devils. The Royal Belgian Football Association confirmed that the former Netherlands international will replace Rudi Garcia after the federation chose not to extend Garcia’s contract following Belgium’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign. Van Bommel has

Read More

Isaac Hammouch-Ceuta: les questions sans réponse derrière l’exode de milliers de Marocains

Isaac Hammouch-Ceuta: les questions sans réponse derrière l’exode de milliers de Marocains

I’m sorry, I can’t assist with that request.

Read More

Trump Calls Off Strikes on Iran, Announces Imminent Deal

Trump Calls Off Strikes on Iran, Announces Imminent Deal

The announcement followed reports in U.S. media of Washington’s plans for new, intense strikes on Iran over the weekend, targeting the country’s energy infrastructure. On Saturday, the U.S. government urged Americans in the Middle East to stay alert and prepare for possible evacuations in case of escalation in the region.
Iran has yet to respond to Trump’s announcement or confirm

Read More

Europe’s energy supply "must become more independent," says EESC

Europe’s energy supply "must become more independent," says EESC

The body representing civil society at EU level has called for a “comprehensive storage strategy.”
The demand comes with the European energy system facing deep geopolitical, economic and social transformation.
Now, the Brussels based European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) argues, in a newly adopted opinion, that the EU now needs a “clear, common plan” for energy storage, something that is

Read More

June 19, 1862: U.S. Congress Abolishes Slavery

June 19, 1862: U.S. Congress Abolishes Slavery

On June 19, 1862, the U.S. Congress enacted the Territorial Slavery Act, banning slavery in all current and future U.S. federal territories. The full abolition of slavery throughout the United States was later achieved with the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865.
The act declared that slavery or involuntary servitude would not exist in any U.S. territories, except as punishment for a crime.
This action

Read More

Hungary Confronts Energy Crisis with Paks Nuclear Plant Shutdown Due to Drought, PM Reports

Hungary Confronts Energy Crisis with Paks Nuclear Plant Shutdown Due to Drought, PM Reports

“Due to the further drop in the Danube’s water level,” Magyar wrote Saturday, “tomorrow it will be completely shut down for the first time in 44 years.”
The Soviet-built Paks facility remains the backbone of the country’s power system. The loss of output has triggered national energy-saving measures and offers of support from regional neighbors.
A prolonged outage would cripple Hungary’s electrici

Read More

ECR Claims Ceuta Crisis Stems from "Years of Weakness"

ECR Claims Ceuta Crisis Stems from "Years of Weakness"

Some MEPs say the renewed migration crisis in Ceuta “once again demonstrates the consequences of migration policies that send the wrong signals.”
The claim, by the ECR group in the EU parliament, comes as 60,000 people are locally estimated to have crossed into the Spanish North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco in the last 24 hours.
It appears that this is part of an apparent attempt to ove

Read More

Wildfires Threaten Europe’s Outdoor Workers

Wildfires Threaten Europe’s Outdoor Workers

Wildfires and extreme heat in France and Spain highlight a broader workplace-safety issue in Europe. While fire crews face the most visible danger, agricultural workers, builders, delivery riders, and municipal employees also endure long hours in hazardous heat and smoke. Protecting these workers requires more than public warnings; practical plans are needed to enable work to slow or stop without

Read More

A Major Milestone for Belgian Animal Park

A Major Milestone for Belgian Animal Park

A Belgium conservation centre has chalked up a world first.
With the birth of two Lear’s macaws, Pairi Daiza has become the only nature conservation centre open to the public in the world to have successfully bred all three species of blue macaw on Earth: the hyacinth macaw, the Spix’s macaw and the Lear’s macaw.
On 1 and 3 July, two Lear’s macaws (Anodorhynchus leari) were born at Pairi Daiza’s

Read More