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South Korea is reeling from an eight-hour whiplash during which the country’s embattled president declared a state of emergency but was forced to lift it amid widespread condemnation, throwing the country’s political landscape into chaos and uncertainty.
The saga began last night local time as most South Koreans were preparing for bed – prompting furious lawmakers to push their way past soldiers into parliament to overturn the decree, as protesters he demanded the dismissal of President Yoon Suk Yeol and no return to the country’s painful authoritarian past.
By dawn, the president relented – agreeing to lift the state of emergency.
READ MORE:Australia issues travel warning for South Korea after state of emergency decree
But questions still swirl about the future of Yoon’s presidency, his party’s rule and what will happen next in one of the world’s most important economies and a key Western ally.
Here’s what we know.
What happened? What is a state of emergency?
Yoon declared the state of emergency at around 10.30pm local time (12.30am AEDT) yesterday in an unannounced late-night TV address, accusing the country’s main opposition party of sympathizing with North Korea and engaging in “anti-state” activities.
He also cited a proposal by the opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in parliament, to recall top prosecutors and reject the government’s budget proposal.
A state of emergency refers to the approval of temporary military rule during a state of emergency, which the president has the constitutional ability to declare.
But the announcement went off like a bombshell, roiling the Democratic nation and sparking a stunning late-night political showdown.
In a nation with a strong modern tradition of free speech, Yoon’s military decree banned all political activities, including protests, rallies and political party actions, according to the Yonhap news agency.
READ MORE: South Korea lifts presidential martial law after lawmakers vote
“Denying free democracy or attempting subversion” and “manipulating public opinion” are also prohibited.
In the end, the decree only lasted a few hours.
Lawmakers rushed into parliament, pushing past soldiers deployed to block the building.
At an extraordinary emergency late-night meeting, those present unanimously voted to block the decree, a vote which the president is legally obliged to obey.
The country’s political blocs rallied to oppose Yoon’s decree – including members of his own party, with the party chief apologizing to the public and demanding an explanation from the president.
By 4:30 a.m., Yoon announced he would comply and lift the martial law order, saying he had withdrawn troops deployed earlier in the night.
But he doubled down on accusations that the opposition party was frustrating his government’s moves, calling on MPs to stop their “legislative manipulation”.
Yoon’s cabinet voted to repeal the decree soon after.
Political paralysis
South Korea has been in a severe political deadlock for months, and the country’s liberal opposition parties won a parliamentary majority in April.
The election was widely seen as a referendum on Yoon, whose popularity has plummeted thanks to a series of scandals and controversies since he took office in 2022.
Yoon, a conservative, has clashed with opposition over many of his policies that require legislation, preventing him from following through on campaign promises to cut taxes and ease business regulations.
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He has also grown increasingly frustrated with opposition efforts to impeach government figures, some of whom he appointed — including the chairman of the broadcasting watchdog, the head of the state auditor and several top prosecutors, according to Yonhap.
Prosecutors in particular are a sore point for Yoon.
Opposition lawmakers claim they failed to indict Yoon’s wife, the first lady – who was embroiled in the scandal and allegations of stock manipulation.
What was the answer?
Outrage, shock and confusion gripped the country – and the world – in the immediate aftermath of the decree.
Late last night, residents in the capital Seoul rushed to be with family members, while others gathered outside the parliament building, where police told some they could be arrested without a warrant.
Many protesters carried signs and flags calling for Yoon’s impeachment.
Some members of parliament appeared to clash with authorities outside the parliament building, with television footage showing troops trying to enter the main hall – although they began to retreat hours later when lawmakers blocked the decree.
What does this mean for the US?
The US expressed “serious concern” after Yoon declared a state of emergency and expressed relief after he lifted the decree – saying democracy is at the core of the US-South Korea alliance.
The two countries have a decades-old mutual defense agreement, meaning both must come to each other’s aid if they are ever attacked.
Key American military facilities are spread across South Korea, and almost 30,000 American soldiers are stationed in the country.
US Army Camp Humphreys is the largest US military installation outside the US, with a population of more than 41,000 US military personnel, civilian workers, contractors and family members.
Along with Japan and the Philippines, which also have mutual defense treaties with the US, South Korea is part of a trio of regional partners that have helped bolster US power in Asia and the Pacific for decades.
Proponents argue that a significant US troop presence on the Korean Peninsula is essential to deter any potential attack from North Korea as the Kim Jong Un regime continues to build its nuclear arsenal, and as a way to bolster the US presence in the region to counter Chinese aggression.
North Korea also became a key player in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine by sending troops to help fight for Moscow’s forces, bringing the isolated Asian power into Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II.
What is happening now?
Much remains uncertain – including what will happen to the president and other top leaders.
Yoon’s chief of staff and more than 10 senior secretaries to the president have resigned, according to the president’s office.
The main opposition party said it would begin impeachment proceedings if Yoon did not step down immediately, calling his actions unconstitutional.
Yoon’s party chief also called for the defense minister to be fired for recommending martial law.
South Korea’s largest umbrella union also said today that its members will go on an indefinite general strike until Yoon resigns.
As of this morning, there is still a strong police presence in the parliament building.
Yoon postponed his first public scheduled meeting that morning, Yonhap reported.
This is not the first time he has faced calls for impeachment – with regular protests calling for his resignation and a petition gaining hundreds of thousands of signatures, Reuters reported.
Is this unusual for South Korea?
Yes – especially given the country’s long, painful crawl towards democracy after decades of authoritarian rule.
South Korea has been a vibrant democracy since the 1980s, with regular protests, free speech, fair elections and a peaceful transfer of power.
The domestic political scene has long been turbulent, with presidents on both sides of the political divide frequently facing prosecutions both in and out of office.
Martial law is unheard of in the modern democratic era, in which South Korea has become a major exporter and cultural power, thanks in part to the massive global popularity of K-pop and K-drama.
But South Korea has a dark political past.
During much of the Cold War, the country went through a succession of powerful leaders and military rulers, who repeatedly declared martial law – sometimes in an attempt to hold on to power amid growing public discontent.
At the time, protests could easily turn deadly, with the military deployed to quell those who fought back.
The last time a South Korean president declared martial law was in 1980, during a nationwide uprising led by students and labor unions.
It was not until 1988 that South Korea elected a president through free and direct elections.
Because of this, the protesters yesterday and today held signs and shouted slogans promising that they would never return to dictatorial rule, the memory of which is still fresh in many people’s minds.
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