South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in an unscheduled TV address Tuesday, vowing to eradicate what he alleges are pro-North Korean forces within the country.
“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.
Yoon cited the opposition Democratic Party’s recent actions, including its motion to impeach the country’s top prosecutors and rejection of a government budget proposal. The president denounced the opposition party for “clear anti-state behavior aimed at inciting rebellion.”
The Democratic Party, which has a majority in parliament, “paralyzed state affairs and turned the National Assembly into a den of criminals,” Yoon said, adding that “the National Assembly has become a monster undermining liberal democracy, and the nation is in a precarious state, teetering on the edge of collapse.”
While Yoon did not specify what measures would be taken, the South Korean military said that “activities by parliament and political parties would be banned, and that media and publishers would be under the control of the martial law command,” according to Reuters.
The announcement marks the first time since 1980 that martial law was declared in South Korea.
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the opposition party, slammed Yoon’s move, claiming that “tanks, armored personnel carriers, and soldiers with guns and knives will rule the country” and that “the economy of the Republic of Korea will collapse irretrievably.”
Yoon acknowledged that the martial law might cause inconvenience but promised to “eliminate the anti-state forces and restore the country to normalcy as quickly as possible.”
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