SEOUL - President Yoon Suk Yeol has declared emergency martial law, which he says is necessary to protect the country from North Korea’s communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements. While, lawmakers have since voted to block the president’s move, after both the ruling party and opposition vowed to obstruct the declaration.
Protests have been taking place outside parliament, with the BBC’s Jake Kwon hearing chants of “no to martial law” as police sirens ring out Yoon’s People Power Party and the opposition Democratic Party have been locked in dispute over next year’s budget bill.
Martial law means rule by military authorities in a time of emergency, and can mean the suspension of normal civil rights. Police presence started to thin early Wednesday local time outside the National Assembly building. There was a small crowd gathered on the steps of the building, while the commotion outside is quieting down.
There is a helicopter overhead — a rarity in Seoul, most of which is a no-fly zone.
It’s nearly 3 a.m. here in Seoul. The crowd around the National Assembly building is starting to shrink, but there is a strange mix of tension and calm. Protesters blocked the entry of a black vehicle with tinted windows while police looked on, nonchalantly shaking hot packs to stay warm.
A few demonstrators using microphones continue to shout and speak out against the president. Some are holding signs calling for President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment.
President Joe Biden, after making remarks during his visit to Angola, was asked about the martial law decree in South Korea.
“I’m just getting briefed on it,” he said.
The U.S. ambassador to South Korea, Philip Goldberg, said in a statement Tuesday that the embassy and State Department are “closely tracking” the martial law news, calling the situation “fluid.” He advised people to follow local news for more information.
