South Korea is reeling over a shock martial law declaration by President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose short-lived gamble will have major implications.
declaration of martial law
The martial law declaration and revocation within six hours was the fiercest whiplash between military control and democracy that South Korea has endured since it became a democracy in 1987. It appears highly likely to bring a swift end to Yoon’s two-year tenure as the country’s elected leader.
The president’s gamble seemed rooted primarily in his own domestic political isolation and, while short-lived, it was sure to have major ramifications both for Yoon as a politician, and for South Korea as a nation.
Below is a look at what Yoon did, why he did it, and what it could mean for one of Asia’s most vibrant democracies and biggest economies.What is martial law?
A declaration of martial law is typically used by political or military leaders in a country facing a purported immediate threat to stability or security. It is ostensibly intended to protect the rule of law and citizens by putting military forces in immediate control of a country, suspending the authority of a civilian government and legal system.
Yoon’s order immediately put South Korea’s military in charge of security across the country, froze virtually all existing laws and granted the forces extraordinary powers to detain people without charge and to censor the media.
There was no indication that South Korean troops took advantage of the powers granted to them during the six hours of martial law on Tuesday evening, though there were tense scuffles as forces blocked access to the parliament building and throngs of angry citizens turned up to protest Yoon’s sudden move.Why did South Korea’s president impose martial law?
“I declared martial law at 11:00 last night with a firm will to save the country against anti-state forces that are trying to paralyze the essential functions of the state and destroy the constitutional order of liberal democracy”, Yoon told his nation in a televised address, claiming the declaration would protect south Korea from a “threat of the North Korean communist forces.”
But he never identified any specific military movements by the North, and his shock move appeared to have been directed more at what he called the “legislative dictatorship” of his own country’s opposition Democratic Party.
Yoon has seen his approval rating fall for several months, and with the opposition in control of the parliament for the last two years, he’s struggled to move forward any of his political objectives. He’s also faced criticism for dismissing multiple calls for independent investigations into financial scandals involving himself and his wife.
He complained Tuesday that the opposition had effectively left him unable to govern, including by proposing nearly two dozen impeachment motions against his conservative government and slashing his national budget by at least $700 billion dollars.
But despite Yoon’s political isolation and falling support among voters, few in the country anticipated a counterattack as dramatic as the declaration of martial law.What will the martial law declaration mean for South Korea?
In an early indication of the huge impact of Yoon’s move, South Korea’s Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun offered his resignation Wednesday, expressing regret “for causing confusion and concern to the public regarding martial law.
