SEOUL, Dec 3 (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday declared martial law in an unannounced late night address broadcast live on YTN television.
Yoon said he had no choice but to resort to such a measure in order to safeguard free and constitutional order, saying opposition parties have taken hostage of the parliamentary process to throw the country into a crisis.
“I declare martial law to protect the free Republic of Korea from the threat of North Korean communist forces, to eradicate the despicable pro-North Korean anti-state forces that are plundering the freedom and happiness of our people, and to protect the free constitutional order,” Yoon said.
He did not say in the address what specific measures will be taken.
Yoon cited a motion by the country’s opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in parliament, this week to impeach some of the country’s top prosecutors and its rejection of a government budget proposal.
edit: BBC live feed. This just broke an hour ago so they’re still gathering information: https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cn38321180et
edit: Maybe it’s over? Per the BBC-
South Koreans celebrate as Yoon withdraws martial law troops - published at 12:43
Moments after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced he would lift the martial law people outside the National Assembly celebrated, the AFP news agency reports.
It adds that Yoon says martial law troops have withdrawn after the National Assembly voted to block his imposition of military rule.
Ok how the hell is DPRK “plundering the freedom and happiness” of SK?
They they exist at the border and are COMMUNIST
Fair point. Absolutely necessary. they hate us for our freedoms
The only appropriate response is to take away the freedom of all by declaring martial law. Cool and normal.
By offering an alternative to capitalist hell by its very existence
what did NK send them this time? more trash?
A second PPB leaflet from DPRK has been found.
It’s the usual South Korean right winger talk point that’s been regurgitated by them since 1949.
The people of SK were free and happy?
Seems to be more of a prolonged rut
https://thediplomat.com/2023/03/rich-south-korea-unhappy-koreans/
South Korea has the highest suicide rate and the lowest fertility rate among the 38 OECD member nations. The number of suicides in 2021 rose to 26 per 100,000 from 25.7 in the previous year. And the national fertility rate further fell to just 0.78 in 2022 from 0.81 in 2021, making South Korea the only nation with a fertility rate below 1.0 in contrast to an average overall fertility rate of 1.59 among OECD nations as of 2020.
Many young Koreans frequently cry out online: “Isaengmang,” an abbreviation of a Korean phrase literally meaning, “This life is ruined.”
“Freedom plundering” haha. Where are these so-called freedom stores that i may join in this “plunder”? I want that tang sizzlin on my tongue just once!