South Korea's President cancels martial law
Yoon Suk Yeol, the President of South Korea (photo: flickr.com / Jeon Han)
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced the lifting of martial law, which had been imposed on December 3 and remained in effect for six hours, reports Yonhap.
Speaking in a live broadcast, south Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol explained that martial law had been declared with the firm resolve to protect the country from anti-state forces seeking to paralyze key functions and undermine the constitutional order of liberal democracy.
“However, following a request from the National Assembly to revoke martial law, the decision has been suspended, and deployed troops have been withdrawn,” Yoon said.
After the president’s announcement, the government held a Cabinet meeting to approve a plan for lifting martial law.
“I convened the Cabinet immediately, but since it was early morning local time, a quorum had not yet been reached. I will revoke martial law as quickly as possible,” Yoon added.
The delay in formalizing the decision occurred due to the need for Cabinet members to wait until the required quorum was met.
Martial law in South Korea
On December 3, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, citing a response to anti-state forces paralyzing the core functions of the state.
Following the declaration, military vehicles were seen on the streets of Seoul, and the country’s parliament was shut down.
Despite the restrictions, South Korea’s National Assembly lawmakers voted to revoke martial law. The decision was binding on President Yoon Suk Yeol, compelling him to comply.
Later, the Cabinet approved the revocation, with President Yoon presiding over the session. He formally accepted the National Assembly’s mandated plan to lift martial law.
For more detailed coverage of the situation in South Korea, read the article by RBC-Ukraine.
