South Korea president declares emergency martial law, warns of “communist forces” | Global News Avenue

South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol declared “emergency martial law” on Tuesday, accusing the country’s opposition of controlling parliament, sympathizing with North Korea and paralyzing the government through anti-national activities.

“To protect free Korea from the threat of North Korean communist forces and to eliminate anti-national elements… I hereby declare emergency martial law,” Yoon said in a televised address broadcast live to the nation.

He added: “The opposition parties have completely disregarded the livelihood of the people and paralyzed governance simply for the sake of impeachment, special investigations and protecting their leaders from the eyes of justice.”

South Korea’s National Assembly was closed on Tuesday following Yoon Eun-hye’s statement, South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported. In live television footage broadcast by the broadcaster, helicopters could be seen landing on the roofs of buildings in Seoul.

Yin did not reveal what specific measures would be taken, the BBC reportBut martial law commander Park An-soo said in a statement that all political activities were banned and all media would be subject to government surveillance.

“All political activities, including those of the National Assembly, local councils, political parties and political associations, as well as rallies and demonstrations, are strictly prohibited,” he said. “All media and publications should be controlled by the Martial Law Command,” he added.

Han Dong-hoon, leader of Yoon Eun-hye’s conservative People’s Power Party, called the decision to impose martial law a “wrong” and vowed to “work with the people to stop it.” Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, called Yoon’s statement “illegal and unconstitutional.”

The surprising move comes as Yoon’s People’s Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party continue to spar over next year’s budget bill. Opposition lawmakers last week approved a plan to slash the budget through a parliamentary committee.

“Our National Assembly has become a haven for criminal elements, a den of legislative dictatorships aimed at paralyzing the judicial and administrative systems and overthrowing our liberal democratic order,” Yin said.

Yoon Eun-hye, whose approval ratings have declined in recent months, has struggled to push his agenda against the opposition-controlled parliament since taking office in 2022.

Yoon’s conservative People’s Power Party and the liberal opposition Democratic Party are deadlocked over next year’s budget bill. He has also consistently resisted an independent investigation into scandals involving his wife and senior officials, drawing swift and fierce condemnation from his political opponents.

According to reports, after Yoon Eun-hye announced the news, the Democratic Party held an emergency meeting of members.

Yoon accused opposition lawmakers of cutting “all key budgets that are vital to the country’s core functions, such as combating drug crimes and maintaining public safety… turning the country into a drug paradise and public safety chaos.”

Yoon went on to label the opposition, which holds a majority in the 300-member parliament, as “an anti-state force intent on overthrowing the regime” and said his decision was “inevitable.”

“I will eliminate anti-national forces as soon as possible and restore normalcy to the country.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.