South Korea is in the grip of a political crisis after President Yoon Suk Yeol suddenly declared martial law – military rule.
Yoon said the move was necessary to protect the country from North Korea’s communist forces and eliminate anti-state elements.
But less than two hours later, MPs defied the president, gathering at the National Assembly and voting to block his imposition of martial law, prompting the president to announce he would lift the law.
Some lawmakers had to break through barricades or climb fences to get inside the building; there were scuffles between police and protesters outside.
Moments after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced he would lift the martial law, people outside the National Assembly celebrated as the president added that martial law troops had withdrawn after the National Assembly voted to block his imposition of military rule.
The UK government also expressed concerns over developments in South Korea. Catherine West, the minister for the Indo-Pacific, called for a “peaceful resolution to the situation by the law and constitution of the Republic of Korea”.
She also adds that the British Embassy in Seoul continues to monitor developments and is in touch with the South Korean authorities. Brits in South Korea should follow Foreign Office travel advice, which is being updated regularly, she advised.
South Korea’s main opposition leader, Lee Jae-Myung, earlier said, “Crisis is an opportunity, ” assuring people that martial law would not impact the country’s functioning.
Although this country is continuing to fall backwards, this illegal declaration of martial law will not cause it to fall into a worse situation, but will now be a decisive opportunity to break the vicious cycle and return to normal society,” he said.
The US State Department said Washington is watching events with “grave concern” and President Biden, who is on a foreign trip, has been briefed.
Vedant Patel, US State Department spokesperson, said, “We are continuing to watch with grave concern, and we will continue to follow developments on the ground very closely.”
Patel is also asked about Yoon’s assessment that martial law was necessary to protect the country from pro-North Korea forces.
He said North Korea has carried out a “long litany of reckless actions,” but it’s not up to the US to “draw those kinds of conclusions” about current events.
Vedant Patel, the principal deputy spokesperson, added that the secretary of state has been briefed on the recent developments in South Korea and emphasised that the US alliance with the country remains “iron-clad”.
Asked whether the US respects the National Assembly’s decision to block martial law, Patel said, “We want to see these political disputes resolved peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law, and such a vote in the legislature would be consistent with that approach.”
Patel emphasised that the US is in contact with the South Korean government and reiterated that the US should have been notified in advance about President Yoon’s plans to implement martial law.
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