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SEOUL, South Korea, Dec 4 (AfrikTimes) – South Korean lawmakers submitted a bill on Wednesday to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol after he declared martial law before reversing the move hours later, triggering a political crisis in Asia’s fourth-largest economy, a key U.S. ally.
The surprise declaration of martial law late on Tuesday caused a standoff with parliament, which rejected his attempt to ban political activity and censor the media, as armed troops forced their way into the National Assembly building in Seoul. The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) called for Yoon, who has been in office since 2022, to resign or face impeachment.
People take part in a rally to demand South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s removal from power, in Seoul, South Korea, December 4, 2024.
Six South Korean opposition parties later submitted a bill in parliament to impeach Yoon, with voting set for Friday or Saturday. “It was clearly revealed to the entire nation that President Yoon could no longer run the country normally. He should step down,” senior DP member of parliament Park Chan-dae said in a statement. There were deep divisions in Yoon’s ruling People Power Party as well, as its leader called for Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun to be fired and the entire cabinet to resign.
In a televised address on Tuesday, Yoon defended the martial law declaration, claiming it was necessary to counter “pro-North Korean anti-state forces” and safeguard the nation’s constitutional order. However, he did not provide specific evidence to substantiate these threats. Chaos erupted as troops attempted to seize control of the parliament building, prompting parliamentary staff to use fire extinguishers to repel them, while protesters clashed with police outside.
Under martial law, the military announced a ban on political activities, suspended parliamentary functions, and declared that media outlets would be controlled by the martial law command. Despite this, lawmakers defied the security cordon. Within hours, South Korea’s parliament, with 190 of its 300 members present, unanimously voted to lift martial law, including 18 members of Yoon’s party.
South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung looks on as people hold placards that read “Step down President Yoon Suk Yeol” and “Investigate his act of rebellion immediately”, at a rally to condemn South Korean President’s surprise declarations of the martial law last night and to call for his resignation, at the national assembly in Seoul, South Korea, December 4, 2024.
Amid mounting pressure, Yoon rescinded the martial law declaration just six hours after issuing it. The decision was met with cheers from protesters outside the National Assembly, with many chanting, “We won!” One demonstrator celebrated by beating a drum.
“There are opinions that it was too much to go to emergency martial law, and that we did not follow the procedures for emergency martial law, but it was done strictly within the constitutional framework,” a South Korean presidential official told Reuters by telephone.
MARKETS VOLATILE
Despite the political turmoil overnight, daily life in Seoul appeared largely unaffected on Wednesday, with the usual morning rush hour traffic filling the streets and trains.
However, more protests are expected, with South Korea’s largest union coalition, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, planning to hold a rally in Seoul and vowing to strike until Yoon resigns.
People shout slogans in front of the gate of the National Assembly, after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, in Seoul, South Korea, December 4, 2024.
The U.S. Embassy in South Korea has advised its citizens to avoid protest areas, while some major employers, including Naver Corp and LG Electronics Inc have recommended that their employees work from home for safety reasons.
Financial markets reacted to the crisis with volatility. South Korean stocks fell about 1.3%, and the won remained stable but hovered near a two-year low. Dealers reported suspected intervention by South Korean authorities to stem the won’s slide.
Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok and Bank of Korea Governor Rhee Chang-yong held emergency meetings overnight and the finance ministry promised to prop up markets if needed. “We will inject unlimited liquidity into stocks, bonds, short-term money market as well as forex market for the time being until they are fully normalized,” the government said in a statement.
Amid growing uncertainty, sales of essentials such as canned goods, instant noodles, and bottled water soared overnight, according to a major South Korean convenience store chain that chose to remain anonymous.
Protesters hold up signs as people and lawmakers attend a rally to condemn South Korean President’s surprise declarations of the martial law last night and to call for his resignation, at the national assembly in Seoul, South Korea, December 4, 2024. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji.
“I’m deeply disturbed by this kind of situation, and I’m very concerned about the future of the country,” 39-year-old Seoul resident Kim Byeong-In told reporters.
In the coming days, the National Assembly could move to impeach President Yoon. This requires a two-thirds majority vote from lawmakers, followed by a constitutional court trial, where six out of nine justices must confirm the motion for impeachment to take effect.
Yoon’s ruling party currently holds 108 of the 300 seats in the legislature, leaving the outcome uncertain.
Furniture lies piled up in a room after military forces broke into the National Assembly building after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, which was reversed hours later, in Seoul, South Korea, December 4, 2024.
‘DODGED A BULLET’
If President Yoon Suk Yeol were to resign or be removed from office, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo would assume leadership until a new election is held within 60 days.
“South Korea as a nation dodged a bullet, but President Yoon may have shot himself in the foot,” Danny Russel, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute think tank in the United States, said of the first martial law declaration in South Korea since 1980.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he welcomed Yoon’s decision to rescind the martial law declaration. “We continue to expect political disagreements to be resolved peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law,” Blinken said in a statement.
People take part in a rally to demand South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s removal from power, in Seoul, South Korea, December 4, 2024.
South Korea, a key U.S. ally, hosts about 28,500 American troops as part of the legacy of the 1950–1953 Korean War. Planned defense talks and a joint military exercise between the two allies were postponed amid the broader diplomatic fallout from the overnight turmoil.
Sweden’s prime minister has postponed a planned visit to South Korea, a spokesperson said, and Japan’s parliamentary group on Korean affairs cancelled a trip to Seoul originally scheduled for mid-December. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the alliance is closely monitoring the situation in South Korea but added that its relationship with Seoul remains “ironclad”.
President Yoon, a career prosecutor, narrowly won the tightest presidential election in South Korean history in 2022, capitalizing on widespread discontent over economic policies, scandals, and gender-related political divisions. However, his approval ratings have remained low, hovering around 20% for months.
People watch a TV screen broadcasting a news report on South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law and the following announcement that he will lift the martial law, after parliamentary vote, at a railway station in Seoul, South Korea, December 4, 2024. REUTERS/Kim Soo-hyeon.
His People Power Party suffered a landslide defeat at a parliamentary election in April this year, failing to wrest control from opposition parties that captured nearly two-thirds of the seats.
There have been more than a dozen instances of martial law being declared since South Korea was established as a republic in 1948. In 1980, a group of military officers forced then-President Choi Kyu-hah to proclaim martial law to crush calls for the restoration of democratic government.
People take part in a rally to demand South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s removal from power, in Seoul, South Korea, December 4, 2024.
