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South Korea’s president lifted the state of emergency he had imposed hours earlier, bowing to political pressure after a tense night in which troops surrounded parliament and politicians voted to reject military rule.
President Yoon Suk Yeol, who appeared set to be impeached for his actions, imposed a state of emergency late on Tuesday amid frustration with the opposition, vowing to eliminate “anti-state” forces as he battles opponents who control parliament and whom he accuses of sympathizing with communist North Korea.
Police and military personnel were seen leaving the parliament premises after the bipartisan vote to override the president, and the declaration was officially lifted at around 4.30am local time (6.30am AEDT) during a cabinet meeting.
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Parliament acted quickly after the state of emergency was imposed, with National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik declaring that the law was “invalid” and that lawmakers would “protect democracy with the people”.
In all, the state of emergency was in effect for about six hours.
Woo applauded how the troops quickly left the Assembly after the vote.
“Even with our unfortunate memories of military coups, our citizens must have observed today’s events and seen the maturity of our military,” Woo said.
As he announced his plan to lift martial law, Yoon continued to criticize parliament’s attempts to impeach key government officials and senior prosecutors. He said the lawmakers were involved in “unscrupulous acts of legislative and budget manipulation that paralyze the functions of the state.”
Earlier in Washington, the White House said the US was “gravely concerned” by the events in Seoul.
A spokesman for the National Security Council said President Joe Biden’s administration was not notified in advance of the emergency declaration and was in contact with the South Korean government.
Seemingly hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Assembly, waving banners and calling for Yoon’s impeachment.
Some protesters clashed with soldiers ahead of the MPs’ vote, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or major material damage. At least one window was broken as troops tried to enter the Assembly building.
One woman unsuccessfully tried to snatch a rifle from one of the soldiers while shouting “What shame on you!”
“Democratic Party lawmakers, including myself and many others, will protect democracy and the future of our country and public safety, lives and property, with our own lives,” Lee Jae-myung, leader of the liberal Democratic Party, which has a majority in the 300-seat Parliament, he said at a press conference.
The president’s surprise move harkens back to an era of authoritarian leaders the likes of which the country has not seen since the 1980s, and was immediately condemned by the opposition and the leader of Yoon’s own conservative party.
Following Yoon’s announcement, South Korea’s military announced that parliament and other political gatherings that could cause “social unrest” would be suspended, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news agency.
The military also said the country’s striking doctors should return to work within 48 hours, Yonhap said. Thousands of doctors have been on strike for months over government plans to increase the number of students at medical schools. The military said anyone violating the decree could be arrested without a warrant.
Under the South Korean constitution, the president can declare a state of emergency during “wartime, war-like situations or other comparable national emergencies” that require the use of military force to maintain peace and order. It was questionable whether South Korea was currently in such a state.
When a state of emergency is declared, “special measures” can be applied to limit freedom of the press, freedom of assembly and other rights, as well as the powers of the courts.
The Constitution also states that the President must accept when the National Assembly requests the lifting of the state of emergency by a majority of votes.
Shortly after the declaration, the Speaker of the Parliament called on all MPs to gather in the National Assembly in an urgent announcement published on his YouTube channel. He urged military and police personnel to “remain calm and hold their positions.”
All 190 deputies who participated in the vote supported the lifting of the state of emergency. Television footage showed soldiers stationed at the parliament leaving the venue after the vote.
A few hours earlier, TV showed policemen blocking the entrance to the National Assembly and helmeted soldiers with rifles outside the building to restrict access to the building.
An Associated Press photographer saw at least three helicopters, possibly military, land inside the assembly, while two or three helicopters circled the site.
The leader of Yoon’s conservative People’s Power Party, Han Dong-hoon, called the decision to impose a state of emergency “wrong” and vowed to “stop it with the people.” Lee, who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, called Yoon’s announcement “illegal and unconstitutional.”
Yoon said during a televised speech that the state of emergency would help “rebuild and protect” the country from “falling into the depths of national ruin.” He said he would “root out pro-North Korean forces and protect the constitutional democratic order.”
“I will remove anti-state forces as soon as possible and normalize the country,” he said and asked citizens to trust him and tolerate “some inconvenience.”
Yoon — whose popularity has fallen in recent months — has struggled to push his agenda against the opposition-controlled parliament since taking office in 2022.
Yoon’s party is deadlocked with the Liberal opposition over next year’s budget proposal. The opposition also tried to launch impeachment motions against three chief prosecutors, including the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office, in what conservatives called retaliation against their criminal investigations into Lee, who was seen as the favorite for the next presidential election in 2027 according to polls.
During his televised announcement, Yoon also described the opposition as “shameless pro-North Korean anti-state forces that are robbing the freedom and happiness of our citizens,” but did not elaborate.
Yoon has taken a hard line on North Korea over its nuclear ambitions, departing from the policies of his liberal predecessor, Moon Jae-in, who pursued inter-Korean engagement.
Yoon has also rejected calls for independent investigations into scandals involving his wife and top officials, prompting swift and sharp criticism from his political rivals. The Democratic Party reportedly called an emergency meeting of its lawmakers following Yoon’s announcement.
Yoon’s move was the first declaration of martial law since the country’s democratization in 1987. The country’s last previous martial law was in October 1979, following the assassination of former military dictator Park Chung-hee.
Sydney Seiler, Korea chairman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, argued that the move was symbolic for Yoon to express his frustration with the opposition-controlled parliament.
“He has nothing to lose,” Seiler said, comparing Yoon’s move to a Hail Mary pass in American football, with little chance of success.
Now Yoon faces possible impeachment, a scenario that was also possible before he made the bold move, Seiler said.
Natalia Slavney, a research analyst at the Stimson Center’s 38 North website that focuses on Korean affairs, said Yoon’s imposition of martial law was a “serious setback for democracy” that followed a “worrying trend of abuse” since he took office in 2022.
South Korea “has a strong history of political pluralism and is no stranger to mass protests and quick impeachments,” Slavney said, citing the example of former President Park Geun-hye, the country’s first female president, who was removed from office and jailed for bribery and other crimes in in 2017
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