Trouble In South Korea As President Yoon Backs Down On Martial Law

• Faces united opposition from ruling Party, Parliament, Unions
• Demand for the President’s immediate resignation grows

South Korea’s Rightwing President Yoon Suk Yeol has been forced to back down after he unexpectedly declared martial law only to face unanimous opposition from the national assembly, in the most serious challenge to the country’s democracy since the 1980s.

The country descended into political turmoil after President Yeol declared martial law late on Tuesday amid a dispute with opposition parties he accused of pro-North Korean sympathies and anti-state activities.

Insisting that he was acting to protect the country from “threats” posed by North Korea, the President accused the opposition of being “antistate forces” with the Military announcing a series of measures, including prohibitions on all political activities and that all media will be placed under the control of the Martial Law Command.

But after some of the tensest hours in the country’s recent history, Yoon said troops would return to their barracks and the order would be lifted following a cabinet meeting.

“Just a moment ago, there was a demand from the National Assembly to lift the state of emergency, and we have withdrawn the military that was deployed for martial law operations,” Yoon said in a televised address early on Wednesday morning.

“We will accept the National Assembly’s request and lift the martial law through the cabinet meeting”, he assured the nation.

The cabinet approved a motion to lift the order shortly after, prompting jubilation among protesters who had braved freezing temperatures to gather outside parliament, even as the main opposition Democratic party called for Yoon, who has been in office since 2022, to resign or face impeachment.

“Even if martial law is lifted, he cannot avoid treason charges. It was revealed to the entire nation that President Yoon could no longer run the country normally. He should step down,” said Park Chan-dae, a senior Democratic party MP.

It’s Tragic, Those Responsible Must ‘Be Held Accountable’ – – Ruling Party Leader
Han Dong-hoon, the leader of South Korea’s ruling party has described President Yoon Seok Yeol’s attempt to impose martial law as “tragic”, and called for those involved to be held accountable.

“The president must directly and thoroughly explain this tragic situation,” People Power Party (PPP) Leader Dong-hoon told reporters in a televised broadcast on Wednesday, adding that “all those responsible must be held strictly accountable”.

Democratic Party Top Figure Wants Yoon To ‘Step Down Immediately’
Criticisms of President Yoon appear to be growing despite his reversing an earlier martial law decree. Park Chan-dae, a top figure in the Democratic Party, has called on the president to quit, saying Yoon must “step down immediately” and “cannot avoid the charge of treason” over his declaration of martial law.

According to CNN, Park’s comments come shortly after the head of a minor opposition party, Cho Kuk vowed to impeach Yoon.

“He put all the people in shock,” Cho Kuk said. “The president is a dangerous being … threatening democracy and constitution.” He vowed to impeach Yoon by putting together votes from other parties.

South Korea Media Condemns Yoon’s Shock Martial Law Move
Also leading their voice to criticism trailing the President’s action in the East Asian nation on the southern half of the Korean Peninsula are the media.

Hours after the shock declaration in South Korea, newspapers across the political spectrum in the nation’s capital Seoul published scathing editorials about the martial law manoeuvres.

Reports indicated that the conservative and influential Chosun Ilbo published a searing editorial Wednesday morning, which said Yoon’s martial law declaration “severely crossed the line” of acceptable political bounds, and demanded accountability. The editorial said legal requirements weren’t met and called it a “national embarrassment” for a top 10 democracy.

Meanwhile, the left-leaning Hankyoreh’s editorial framed Yoon’s martial law declaration as a “betrayal of the people”, expressing disbelief that “21st century Korea” could see an elected president use the same justification (“anti-state forces plotting insurrection”) as the military junta did 45 years ago. It said that Yoon had “lost the minimum judgment and rationality required of a head of state”.

Largest Labour Union Demands Yoon’s Resignation
Not left out of the massive opposition against the President, South Korea’s largest umbrella labour union on Wednesday called an “indefinite general strike” until President Yoon Suk Yeol resigned after he abandoned a short-lived attempt at martial law.

The 1.2 million-member Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) accused Yoon of an “irrational and anti-democratic measure”, saying he had “declared the end of (his) own power”.