In an unprecedented turn of events, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced and then rescinded martial law within six hours following intense opposition from lawmakers and public protests. This marks the shortest martial law in the country’s modern history.
In a special address at 4:30 am local time, President Yoon stated, “We will accept the National Assembly’s request and lift the martial law through the Cabinet meeting.” The announcement came after South Korean MPs unanimously voted against the imposition of martial law during a midnight session of the National Assembly, calling it an overreach of executive power.
President Yoon initially justified the decision as a measure to crush “anti-state forces.” However, his move was met with widespread condemnation. Protesters gathered outside the National Assembly, chanting slogans against the martial law, while security forces deployed tear gas to control the growing unrest.
The country’s currency also experienced a sharp decline before stabilizing after the announcement to withdraw the emergency order.
A Cabinet meeting convened at 5 am to formally revoke the martial law. The initial decision banned political activity and imposed media censorship, triggering fears of a democratic backslide. This was South Korea’s first martial law in nearly 50 years—the last one being in 1980.
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Notably, President Yoon did not cite any direct threat from North Korea as a reason for his sudden decision, despite ongoing tensions with the nuclear-armed regime.
The swift withdrawal of martial law highlights the power of democratic institutions in South Korea and the limits of executive authority in the face of unified political opposition.
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