After Yoon’s late-night TV announcement, the military said activities by parliament and political parties would be banned and that media and publishers would be under the control of the martial law command.
Yoon did not cite any specific threat from nuclear-armed North Korea, instead focusing on his domestic political opponents. It is the first time since 1980 that martial law has been declared in South Korea.
Live television footage showed helmeted troops apparently tasked with imposing martial law attempting to enter the National Assembly building, and parliamentary aides were seen trying to push the soldiers back by spraying fire extinguishers.
Yoon said on Tuesday night that opposition parties had taken the parliamentary process hostage. He vowed to eradicate “shameless pro-North Korean anti-state forces”, and said he had no choice but to impose martial law to safeguard constitutional order.
Shortly after Yoon made his announcement, people began gathering outside the parliament building, some shouting: “Withdraw emergency martial law!”
“Arrest Yoon Suk Yeol”, shouted others.
The military said activities by parliament and political parties would be banned, and martial law command would take control of the media and other publishers.
South Korea had a series of authoritarian leaders early in its history, but has been considered a democracy since the 1980s.
South Korean soldiers trying to get into the National Assembly.Credit: Getty Images
The Korean won fell sharply against the US dollar, and a central bank official said it was preparing measures to stabilise the market if needed. Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok convened an emergency meeting of top economic officials, his spokesman said in a text message.
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Posting on X, Yoon’s predecessor, Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party (DP), said the country’s democracy was in crisis. “I hope that the National Assembly will act quickly to protect our democracy from crumbling,” he wrote in a post.
“I ask the people to join forces to protect and save democracy and to help the National Assembly function normally.”
The US is in contact with the South Korean government and is monitoring the situation closely, a White House spokesperson said.
Some 28,500 US troops are stationed in South Korea to guard against the North. A spokesman for the US military command did not answer repeated phone calls.
On Monday, South Korean ministers protested against last week’s opposition move to slash more than 4 trillion won from the government’s budget proposal. Yoon said that action undermined the essential functioning of the government.
Opposition parties held a rally last Saturday calling for Yoon to accept a special prosecutor investigation into allegations of fraud against the first lady, the latest such protests by the opposition and civic groups in recent weeks.
In October, North Korean propaganda leaflets apparently carried by balloons were found scattered on the streets of Seoul, including some making personal attacks on Yoon and the first lady.
Reuters