Late Tuesday evening, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol stunned his country and the world with an attempt to impose martial law. In his announcement, Yoon cited budget gridlock, the impeachment of government officials, and the “trampling of the constitutional order” as his motivations, and said that the opposition-led “National Assembly has become a den of criminals and is attempting to paralyze the nation’s judicial administration.” Following the decree, Army General Park An-soo assumed command. He issued a proclamationimposing immediate and sweeping restrictions on political parties, public demonstrations, and labor organizing—the very foundations of Korean democratic activism. The decree even placed all media under military control.
torsdag 5. desember 2024
What Just Happened in South Korea?
The South Korean president’s imposition of martial law and the National Assembly’s rapid vote to demand an end to the decree have left the country with a slew of puzzling questions about the president’s political calculus and the country’s future.
Late Tuesday evening, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol stunned his country and the world with an attempt to impose martial law. In his announcement, Yoon cited budget gridlock, the impeachment of government officials, and the “trampling of the constitutional order” as his motivations, and said that the opposition-led “National Assembly has become a den of criminals and is attempting to paralyze the nation’s judicial administration.” Following the decree, Army General Park An-soo assumed command. He issued a proclamationimposing immediate and sweeping restrictions on political parties, public demonstrations, and labor organizing—the very foundations of Korean democratic activism. The decree even placed all media under military control.
Late Tuesday evening, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol stunned his country and the world with an attempt to impose martial law. In his announcement, Yoon cited budget gridlock, the impeachment of government officials, and the “trampling of the constitutional order” as his motivations, and said that the opposition-led “National Assembly has become a den of criminals and is attempting to paralyze the nation’s judicial administration.” Following the decree, Army General Park An-soo assumed command. He issued a proclamationimposing immediate and sweeping restrictions on political parties, public demonstrations, and labor organizing—the very foundations of Korean democratic activism. The decree even placed all media under military control.
