South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol says he will move to lift a martial law declaration he had imposed hours before, backing down in a standoff with parliament which rejected his attempt to ban political activity and censor the media.
Yoon declared martial law on Tuesday night to thwart “anti-state forces” among his opponents. But outraged lawmakers rejected the decree, in South Korea’s biggest political crisis in decades. Yoon said a cabinet meeting would be held as soon as possible.
Protesters outside parliament shouted and clapped after Yoon backed down on Wednesday. “We won!” they chanted. One demonstrator banged on a drum.
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Yoon’s surprise declaration of martial law, which he cast as aimed at his political foes, was unanimously voted down by 190 lawmakers in the parliament.
Under South Korean law, the president must immediately lift martial law if parliament demands it by a majority vote. His own party urged him to lift the decree.
The crisis in a country that has been a democracy since the 1980s, and is a US ally and major Asian economy, caused international alarm. Earlier, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said the United States was watching events in South Korea with “grave concern” and hoped that any political disputes would be resolved peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law.
After Yoon’s announcement of martial law in a late-night television address, the military said activities by parliament and political parties would be banned, and that media and publishers would be under the control of the martial law command.
Yoon did not cite any specific threat from the nuclear-armed North, instead focusing on his domestic political opponents. It is the first time since 1980 that martial law has been declared in South Korea.
Yoon on Tuesday night had said opposition parties had taken the parliamentary process hostage.
He vowed to eradicate “shameless pro-North Korean anti-state forces” and said he had no choice but to take the measure to safeguard constitutional order.
“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.
The military said activities by parliament and political parties would be banned and that media and publishers would be under the control of the martial law command.
Yoon did not cite any specific threat from the nuclear-armed North, instead focusing on his domestic political opponents.
Yoon’s move was vocally opposed even by the leader of his own People Power Party, Han Dong-hoon, who was present for the vote in parliament and who has clashed with Yoon over the president’s handling of recent scandals.
It was the first time since 1980 that martial law has been declared in South Korea.
with AP and Yonhap