South Korean lawmakers may soon impeach their president. The threat comes after President Yoon Suk Yeol sent armed forces into Seoul’s streets. His act reminded many of the country’s past dictatorships—and both citizens and lawmakers rejected it.
Yoon ordered martial law without warning in a speech around 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday. In the speech, he vowed to remove “anti-state” forces. He also accused opposition parties of supporting the country’s rival, North Korea.
Yoon gave no direct evidence of a North Korea connection. It seems that the president likely felt the last election didn’t go his way. Yoon has struggled to push his agenda through an opposition-dominated parliament. He and his wife face corruption scandals. The martial law order appears to have been a desperate effort to get his way.
During a tense six hours under martial law, heavily armed forces surrounded the parliament. Army copters and armored vehicles backed them up. Lawmakers climbed walls to get into the building. They held off troops using fire extinguishers. Politician Ahn Gwi-ryeong tried to pull an assault rifle away from a soldier. The fighter had pointed it at her chest. She shouted, “Aren’t you ashamed of yourselves?”
National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik declared that the law was “invalid” and that lawmakers would “protect democracy with the people.”
Lawmakers able to reenter the building rejected Yoon’s martial law announcement. The vote was 190-0. It included 18 lawmakers from Yoon’s own party. That forced Yoon to lift martial law.
South Korea’s constitution gives the president power to use the military to keep order. That leader can do so in “wartime, war-like situations, or other comparable national emergency states.” The powers can include suspending civil rights like the freedom of the press and assembly and more.
But the constitution also gives the National Assembly power to lift martial law with a majority vote.
Some experts say Yoon’s martial law went far beyond his rightful powers. Many also don’t believe that the country faces a war-like situation.
The leader of Yoon’s conservative party called the decision to impose martial law “wrong” and apologized to the public.
The opposition lambasted Yoon’s actions as undemocratic and submitted an impeachment motion.
“The people will block the president’s anti-constitutional step,” Kim Dong Yeon, an opposition governor, wrote on X. “Let’s resolutely oppose it.”
Average South Koreans expressed shock. Messages of surprise and worry over Yoon’s announcement flooded social media.
South Korea became a democracy only in the late 1980s. From the 1950s until then, a series of dictators marched troops through the capital, forcefully halted protests, and jailed critics. Military intervention in civilian affairs is still a touchy subject. But even without that recent history, declaring martial law in democratic societies has been reserved for extreme and urgent circumstances.
A vote on impeachment could be held as early as Friday.
A ruler who lacks understanding is a cruel oppressor, but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days. — Proverbs 28:16
