South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol has declared emergency martial law
The move comes as Yoon’s People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party continue to disagree over next year’s budget bill
In a surprise late night television address he says the measure is necessary to protect the country from North Korea’s communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements
Martial law means rule by military authorities in a time of emergency and can mean the suspension of normal civil rights
In his late night TV broadcast, President Yoon Suk Yeol said he had no choice but to resort to martial law in order to safeguard free and 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,” Yoon said.
South Korea’s main opposition party leader Lee Jae-myung has condemned the move, calling it unconstitutional.
He has called on all lawmakers from his Democratic Party to converge on parliament to vote down the declaration, but latest reports from Seoul say police buses have been moved in to block the entrance to the parliament building.
The last time martial law was declared in South Korea was in 1979 after the assassination of then dictator Park Chung Hee, Yonhap news agency reports.
According to the Yonhap news agency, those who violate martial law can be arrested without warrant.
In addition, all media and publishers will be under the martial law command and activities. And, as we reported earlier, parliamentary activity is banned.
Medical staff, including trainee doctors, have been ordered to return to work in 48 hours, it adds.
The Biden administration is in contact with the South Korean government and is “monitoring the situation closely”, a US national security council spokesperson tells the BBC’s US partner CBS.
The US president is yet to comment on the South Korean counterpart’s declaration of martial law.
Credit: bbc.com
