Seoul: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced the lifting of emergency martial law early on December 4, as the National Assembly voted to call for its end with the US expressing "grave concern" over the hours-long political drama. His Cabinet approved a motion to end martial law enforcement at 4:30 am, around six hours after he made the surprise emergency declaration, accusing the nation's opposition of "paralyzing" the government with "anti-state" activities -- a decision that caused concerns across the country and beyond, IANS reported.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff said that troops, who were mobilized to execute martial law, have returned to base in a move that restored a sense of normalcy. "At 11 pm last night, I declared emergency martial law with my resolute intent to save the nation in the face of anti-state forces that attempt to paralyze the nation's essential function and the constitutional order of free democracy," he said.
"But there was a demand from the National Assembly for the lifting of martial law, (I) have withdrawn troops mobilized to execute martial law affairs," he added. Yoon reiterated his calls for the National Assembly to stop "outrageous" activities that he said paralyzes national functions, including impeachment attempts against government officials.
Yoon said he was acting to safeguard his country's liberal democracy from "anti-state elements" and "threats posed by North Korea" -- but gave little detail. The declaration coincided with a budget dispute with the opposition. Yoon's party has been locked in an impasse with the liberal opposition over next year’s budget bill.
After the lifting of the law, members of the opposition bloc ramped up criticism of Yoon with some even threatening to initiate a motion to impeach the President. South Korea's main opposition party has demanded that Yoon step down, accusing him of "insurrection". The country's main labor union group has also called an "indefinite general strike" until he resigns over the "irrational and anti-democratic measure".
Yoon's own People Power Party described his attempt at imposing martial law as "tragic" and demanded that those involved be held accountable. The declaration also sent shockwaves across the country and beyond. US officials have expressed "grave concern" and stressed Washington's hope that any "political" disputes in South Korea will be resolved "peacefully".
Nuclear deterrence talks with US put offSouth Korea and the US have put off key nuclear deterrence talks and a related exercise originally set to take place in Washington this week, a Pentagon spokesperson said, after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived declaration of emergency martial law. Seoul and Washington had planned to hold the fourth session of the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) in the US capital on December 4 as part of efforts to strengthen their deterrence efforts in the face of North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats, IANS reported, citing Yonhap. |
