President Yoon declares martial law amid political turmoil

South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law on Tuesday, accusing the opposition of being “anti-state forces intent on overthrowing the regime.” The announcement, made during a live televised address, has plunged the nation into uncertainty and drawn international attention.

“To safeguard a liberal South Korea from the threats posed by North Korea’s communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements plundering people’s freedom and happiness, I hereby declare emergency martial law,” Yoon said. His comments come amid a bitter standoff between his People Power Party and the opposition Democratic Party over the 2024 budget bill.

The opposition-controlled parliament recently approved a significantly reduced version of Yoon’s proposed 677 trillion won ($508 billion) budget. It slashed approximately 4.1 trillion won ($2.8 billion), targeting allocations for the president’s office, the prosecution, police, and state audit agency. In response, Yoon accused lawmakers of sabotaging national governance.

“Our National Assembly has become a haven for criminals, a den of legislative dictatorship that seeks to paralyze the judicial and administrative systems and overturn our liberal democratic order,” he stated, claiming opposition lawmakers had cut funding for critical areas like public security and drug enforcement.

Yoon defended martial law as “inevitable to guarantee the continuity of a liberal South Korea” and vowed to eliminate “anti-state forces” undermining the nation. He assured that foreign policy would remain unaffected.

The situation escalated quickly as military units across the country were placed on high alert. The entrance to the National Assembly was sealed, barring lawmakers from entering, according to Yonhap news agency. Police officers were deployed to secure the building, with footage showing the main gates closed off to the public and officials alike.

President Yoon’s move comes as his approval ratings plummet to 19 percent, according to the latest Gallup poll. Many South Koreans have expressed dissatisfaction with his handling of the economy and controversies involving his wife, Kim Keon Hee. Critics have labeled the martial law declaration a desperate attempt to consolidate power amid growing discontent.

“I will restore the country to normalcy by getting rid of anti-state forces as soon as possible,” Yoon promised, though he offered no timeline or specific measures beyond the implementation of martial law.

Yoon also painted a grim picture of South Korea’s current state, describing the nation as being “on the verge of collapse, with the National Assembly acting as a monster intent on bringing down liberal democracy.”

The implications of this drastic action remain uncertain, but it has already sparked concerns about democratic backsliding in one of Asia’s leading economies. South Korea, still technically at war with North Korea, now faces an unprecedented political and constitutional crisis.