South Korean president backtracks on martial law amid widespread criticism

SEOUL: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Wednesday he would move to lift a martial law declaration he had imposed just hours before, backing down in a standoff with parliament which rejected his attempt to ban political activity and censor the media. Later, South Korea’s cabinet approved a motion to lift martial law, Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday. Cho Kuk, head of a minor opposition party, met protesters outside parliament and said: “This isn’t over. He put all the people in shock.” He vowed to impeach Yoon by putting together votes from other parties.

“Just a moment ago, there was a demand from the National Assembly to lift the state of emergency, and we have withdrawn the military that was deployed for martial law operations,” Yoon said in a televised address. “We will accept the National Assembly’s request and lift the martial law through the cabinet meeting.” Protesters outside parliament shouted and clapped after Yoon backed down. “We won!” they chanted. One demonstrator banged on a drum.

Earlier, in a dramatic, emergency television address to the nation, Yoon late on Tuesday night announced that he was imposing martial law, accusing the opposition of paralysing the government with “anti-state activities”. However, 190 lawmakers managed to get in to the assembly in the early hours of Wednesday, where they unanimously voted to block the martial law declaration and call for its lifting. Under the constitution, martial law must be lifted when a majority in parliament demands it.

Yoon gave a range of reasons to justify his announcement -- South Korea’s first declaration of martial law in more than 40 years.

“To safeguard a liberal South Korea from the threats posed by North Korea’s communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements plundering people’s freedom and happiness, I hereby declare emergency martial law,” Yoon said in his earlier live televised address to the nation. Yoon did not give details of the North’s threats, but the South remains technically at war with nuclear-armed Pyongyang.

Yoon’s declaration, which he cast as aimed at his political foes, was vocally opposed by the speaker of parliament and even the leader of Yoon’s party, Han Dong-hoon, who has clashed with the president over his handling of recent scandals.

The National Assembly was sealed late on Tuesday night and helicopters were seen landing on the roof. Live television footage showed helmeted troops tasked with imposing martial law attempting to enter the National Assembly building. Parliamentary aides were seen trying to push the soldiers back by spraying fire extinguishers.

“Our National Assembly has become a haven for criminals, a den of legislative dictatorship that seeks to paralyse the judicial and administrative systems and overturn our liberal democratic order,” Yoon said. The president labelled the opposition, which holds a majority in the 300-member parliament, as “anti-state forces intent on overthrowing the regime”. Yoon described the imposition of martial law as “inevitable to guarantee the continuity of a liberal South Korea,” adding that it would not impact the country’s foreign policy. “I will restore the country to normalcy by getting rid of anti-state forces as soon as possible,” he said, without elaborating further. He described the current situation as South Korea “on the verge of collapse, with the National Assembly acting as a monster intent on bringing down liberal democracy”.

Earlier, all military units in the South have been ordered to strengthen their emergency alert and readiness postures, Yonhap news agency reported. Army chief General Park An-su took charge as martial law commander and immediately issued a decree banning “all political activities”. The decree by martial law commander Park also banned “actions that deny or seek to overthrow the liberal democratic system, including the spread of fake news, public opinion manipulation, and false propaganda”.

“This declaration is illegal and constitutes a criminal act, directly violating the Constitution and other laws,” the opposition Democratic Party said in response. “It is essentially a coup d’état,” it said. Shortly after Yoon made his announcement, people began gathering outside the parliament building, some of them shouting: “Withdraw emergency martial law!” “Arrest Yoon Suk Yeol” shouted others.

After Yoon’s statement, the military said activities by parliament and political parties would be banned, and that media and publishers would be under the control of the martial law command. It is the first time since 1980 that martial law has been declared in South Korea. South Korea has had a series of authoritarian leaders early in its history but has been considered democratic since the 1980s.

The Korean won KRW was down sharply against the U.S. dollar. A central bank official said it was preparing measures to stabilise the market if needed. Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok has convened an emergency meeting among top economic officials, his spokesman said in a text message.

US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said the United States was watching events in South Korea with “grave concern” and hoped that any political disputes would be resolved peacefully and under the rule of law. He stressed that the U.S. alliance with South Korea was “ironclad”, adding: “We stand by Korea in their time of uncertainty.” Some 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea to guard against the North.

In its reaction, Britain said it was “closely monitoring”. China, a key ally of nuclear-armed North Korea, urged its citizens to exercise caution, while Russia -- itself increasingly close to Pyongyang -- called the situation “alarming”. Germany said it was following developments in South Korea with “great concern”, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.

Yoon’s People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party are bitterly at odds over next year’s budget. Opposition MPs last week approved a significantly downsized budget plan through a parliamentary committee. The opposition has slashed approximately 4.1 trillion won ($2.8 billion) from Yoon’s proposed 677 trillion won budget plan, cutting the government´s reserve fund and activity budgets for Yoo’s office, the prosecution, police and the state audit agency. The imposition of emergency martial law came after Yoon’s approval rating dropped to 19 percent in the latest Gallup poll last week, with many expressing dissatisfaction over his handling of the economy and controversies involving his wife, Kim Keon Hee.