South Korea President Declares Emergency Martial Law: 'To Safeguard Against North's Communist Forces'

South Korean president while announcing the martial law said that the measure was necessary to protect the country from North Korea's "communist forces".

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday declared an emergency martial law in the country, accusing the opposition of anti-state activities.

The president while announcing the martial law said that the measure was necessary to protect the country from North Korea's "communist forces".

“To safeguard a liberal South Korea from the threats posed by North Korea’s communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements… I hereby declare emergency martial law,” Yoon said in televised address to the nation, according to Al-Jazeera.

However, it is not yet known how the steps would affect the country’s governance and democracy. 

The liberal opposition Democratic Party had called an emergency meeting of its lawmakers following Yoon’s announcement. Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the opposition, has called the declaration of martial law as 'unconstitutional'.

Hours later, the South Korean parliament voted against the presidential declaration, with the Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik stating that lawmakers "will protect democracy with the people." The Speaker called for police and military personnel to withdraw from the Assembly’s grounds. The Speaker's announcement comes after local reports said that the members of the National Assembly were banned from accessing the building. 

Who is Yoon Suk Yeol And Why Is His Govt Struggling In South Korea?

Yoon Suk Yeol has been the president of South Korea since 2022. In the recent months, his approval rating has been dipping and he has struggled to push his agenda against an opposition-controlled parliament since coming to power.

Yoon has reportedly been unable to pass the laws he favoured and his government was reducted to vetoing the bills being introduced by the opposition. Earlier this week, the opposition slashed budgets, proposed by the ruling party.

The South Korean President was also also mired in several scandals, with his wife being accused of corruption. The opposition has been trying to launch an investigation against her.

Yoon Suk Yeol won the presidential election by a narrow margin against his opponent, Lee Jae-myung, by just 0.7 percentage points. The 2022 presidential elections was the closest in the history of South Korea since the inception of direct elections in 1987.