The South Korean Parliament voted in favor of a resolution demanding the abolition of martial law.
190 deputies out of 190 gathered voted for this, KBS reports. At the same time, the military stormed the parliament building, Yonhap and Reuters reported.
According to the country’s Constitution, the president must revoke the decree after the vote. In total, 300 deputies sit in parliament. 190 deputies out of 190 who participated in the voting voted for this decision. At the same time, the military stormed the parliament building.
The South Korean military subsequently left the parliament building, Speaker Woo Won-shik said.
The military of the Republic of Korea says that martial law will remain in effect until the president announces its lifting, writes WP.
South Korea’s main opposition leader, Lee Jae-man, says anyone acting under orders from President Yoon and the military is breaking the law because martial law is invalid.
South Korea’s main opposition Democratic Party called President Yoon’s move to declare martial law “essentially a coup” and asked for the decision to be immediately reversed. The party believes that the current political and social situation does not meet the criteria defined by the Constitution.
The martial law is invalid and illegal, and the president must be held accountable, the party said in a statement, adding that the martial law was procedurally invalid because there was no government meeting.
At the same time, hundreds of protesters gathered outside parliament, chanting “no to martial law,” “overcome the dictatorship,” and “open the gates,” with sirens sounding occasionally. Dozens of police patrol cars and buses with security forces are gathering.
Earlier, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yol announced martial law during an unannounced evening broadcast. Yoon said it would destroy “shameless pro-North Korean anti-state forces.”
Yoon did not name any specific threat from the nuclear North, focusing on his domestic political opponents.
The surprise move shocked the country and its financial markets. In Korea, it fell 2.5% to a two-year low.
The US says it is watching with “grave concern” and expects a “peaceful” resolution.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.