Martial law imposed in South Korea, lawmakers block declaration

Seoul: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law late Tuesday, pledging to eliminate “anti-state” forces amid growing tensions with the opposition, which controls the country’s parliament. Yoon accused the opposition of sympathizing with North Korea, citing his struggles to push forward his agenda. Hours later, the National Assembly voted unanimously to lift the declaration, with Speaker Woo Won Shik asserting that lawmakers would protect democracy.

Yoon’s unexpected decision drew sharp criticism from both the opposition and his own conservative party. Military forces had been deployed to suspend political gatherings and compel striking doctors to return to work. Yoon argued that martial law was necessary to safeguard the nation from collapse and eliminate pro-North Korean elements, but the move was labelled illegal and unconstitutional by his rivals.

This was the first martial law declaration in South Korea since its democratisation in 1987, marking a rare escalation in the country’s political crisis.