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The last 24 hours in South Korea have been extraordinary. After President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in a late-night address to the nation on Tuesday, accusing the opposition Democratic Party of sympathizing with North Korea and conducting “anti-state activities”, people poured into the streets to protest the decision.
The Democratic Party was certainly guilty of obstructing Yoon’s agenda. They have blocked many of his appointments, stymied his healthcare reforms, blocked his economic stimulus efforts, investigated his aides, impeached his appointees, and even claimed his wife was corrupt.
Yoon, known for emotional outbursts according to the New York Times, finally had enough and decided to declare a national emergency at around 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday night. This resulted in six incredible hours that saw pushback from both major parties and thousands of ordinary Korean citizens pouring into the streets after midnight.
Opposition Democratic Party lawmakers were joined by Yoon’s People’s Power Party members in a post-midnight bid to rush the National Assembly building and push past the paratroopers blocking the legislators from meeting. Aides to the legislators turned fire extinguishers on the soldiers while others tried to run interference for the lawmakers.
In the end, the soldiers stepped aside. The lawmakers voted 190-0 to rescind martial law.
The average USian mind can’t comprehend the concept of stopping a budding military dictatorship at 3:48 am with their barehands and no coffee.
