Important Takeaways:
- President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday said he had no choice but to resort to such a measure to safeguard free and constitutional order in his country.
- He accused opposition parties for allegedly taking hostage of parliament to throw the country into a crisis and for sympathizing with North Korea.
- In a televised address to the nation, the president vowed to ‘eradicate pro-North Korean forces and protect the constitutional democratic order.’
- In response, opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, called his announcement ‘illegal and unconstitutional.’
- It has been reported that the parliament building, the National Assembly, has been shut, with entry and exit blocked to members.
- Protesters charged towards the building in Seoul, with people breaching the main gate shortly after the announcement.
- South Korean Democratic Party chair Lee Jae-myung said there is a high possibility military is mobilized to arrest members of National Assembly.
- Meanwhile, defense minister Shin Won-sik has ordered all military units to strengthen readiness.
- Martial law involves the temporary rule by military authorities. It is usually invoked in time of war, rebellion, or natural disaster.
- Curfews are usually introduced, in addition to the suspension of civil law and civil rights. Civilians defying martial law being subjected to military tribunes.
- It was not immediately clear how the steps would affect governance and democracy.
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