Chaos erupted in South Korea on Tuesday after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law and vowed to “eliminate anti-state forces as quickly as possible and normalize the country.” However, the National Assembly of South Korea quickly voted to end the president’s martial law declaration.
According to The Associated Press, Yoon declared martial law during a televised speech on Tuesday, claiming that the declaration would help “rebuild and protect” the nation from “falling into the depths of national ruin.” The outlet noted that the South Korean president, who has accused the opposition party in the National Assembly of sympathizing with North Korea, threatened that he would “eradicate pro-North Korean forces and protect the constitutional democratic order.”
Asking the people of South Korea to put up with “some inconveniences” under martial law, Yoon said, “I will eliminate anti-state forces as quickly as possible and normalize the country.”
According to The Associated Press, Han Dong-hoon, the leader of Yoon’s conservative People Power Party, described the president’s marital law declaration as “wrong” and promised to “stop it with the people.” Meanwhile, opposition leader Lee Jae-myung described Yoon’s declaration as “illegal and unconstitutional.”
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“President Yoon declared emergency martial law for no reason,” Lee stated. “Tanks, armored vehicles and soldiers with guns and swords will soon control the country.”
South Korea’s Yonhap news agency noted that South Korea’s military announced that parliament and other political gatherings would be suspended due to the potential to cause “social confusion” after Yoon’s martial law declaration, according to The Associated Press.
However, hours after declaring martial law, the National Assembly of North Korea voted unanimously to lift the president’s declaration. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik assured the public that South Korean lawmakers would “protect democracy with the people” and urged the military and police to withdraw from parliament.
The Associated Press reported that police officers were recorded blocking the entrance on Tuesday to the National Assembly building as soldiers armed with rifles were seen in the surrounding area. Additionally, the outlet reported that at least three helicopters believed to be from the South Korean military landed near the National Assembly while additional helicopters flew around the building.
A video shared on X, formerly Twitter, shows members of the South Korean military breaking into parliament amid the confusion over the president’s martial law declaration.
Another video shared by OSINT Defender shows South Korean soldiers leaving parliament after the National Assembly’s vote to lift the martial law order. OSINT Defender tweeted, “The Crisis appears to be over, with the apparent Coup by President Yoon having Failed.”
