December 4, 2024
SEOUL – President Yoon Suk Yeol conceded Wednesday morning to the National Assembly’s request to lift the martial law, as he pledged he would preside over the Cabinet meeting immediately, admitting his surprise declaration of martial law was short-lived.
“I will immediately accept the National Assembly’s request and lift the martial law through the Cabinet,” Yoon said in a televised address to the nation at around 4:20 a.m.
“I convened the Cabinet immediately, but the quorum has not yet been met because it is too early in the morning. … I will lift the martial law as soon as the quorum is met.”
This came six hours after the conservative leader declared martial law on Tuesday “with a determined will to save the nation” at around 10:20 p.m., which imposed a nationwide ban on assembly, association, publication and political activities, among others, effective at 11 p.m.
At around 1 a.m. Wednesday, all 190 lawmakers present at the 300-member National Assembly voted against Yoon’s declaration of martial law. Liberal parties including the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea control the majority of seats in the National Assembly.
His surprise decision barely won support from the ruling People Power Party. Its leader Han Dong-hoon said Tuesday night that things “went wrong” as Yoon declared martial law.
Under the Constitution, the South Korean President has the power to declare martial law and mobilize military forces in the event of war, armed conflict or similar national emergency. The head of state, however, shall comply with the National Assembly’s request to lift martial law.
In his earlier address to declare martial law, Yoon described opposition lawmakers as “pro-North Korean, anti-state forces,” chastising their attempt to impeach ministers and prosecutors, seek a special probe into him and his wife Kim Keon Hee and, most recently, cut the national budget.
Yoon also said armed forces deployed to the National Assembly — in an apparent bid to dissolve the parliament and arrest some opposition lawmakers — pulled back just minutes before his address.
But Yoon urged the parliament to cease the repeated impeachment attempts, legislative manipulation and budget abuse that “paralyzed the functions of the state.”