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The president of South Korea has made a decision

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South Korean President Jun Suk Jeol declared martial law on Tuesday. He said he was doing this “to eliminate nefarious anti-state forces supporting North Korea.” Not only the opposition, but also his own party spoke out against the president's decision. As a result, the National Assembly voted to lift martial law. Therefore, the president announced that he would abolish it, which the government finally agreed to.

South Korean President Jun Suk Jeol, in an unannounced speech broadcast live on YTN Tuesday, said: “I declare martial law to protect the free Republic of Korea from the threat of North Korean communist forces, to eliminate the nefarious pro-North Korean anti-state forces that are destroying freedom and happiness.” our nation, and to protect (…) the constitutional order.

South Korean President Jun Suk Jeol PAP/EPA/SOUTH KOREA PRESIDENT OFFICE / YONHAP / HANDOUT

This is the first time since 1980 that martial law has been declared in this country.

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Yonhap Agency reported that the president accused the opposition of paralyzing the government's work. She recalled that the opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in parliament, this week filed an impeachment motion against some prosecutors and rejected the government's draft budget.

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The BBC reported that special forces soldiers entered the South Korean parliament. The Yonhap news agency also reported the presence of soldiers on the parliament premises and in the main building of the chamber. Three helicopters landed on the parliament grounds, and witnesses saw armed soldiers disembarking from them, Yonhap reported.

Police blocked the main gate in front of the parliament in SeoulEPA/YONHAP SOUTH KOREA OUT

It was also announced that all media and publishers were to be subject to the control of the authority responsible for martial law.

People in front of the parliament building in Seoul Kim Hong-Ji / Reuters / Forum

National Assembly for the abolition of martial law

Not only the opposition, but also Jun's party opposed the president's decision. At around 5:30 p.m. (1:30 a.m. on Wednesday in Seoul), the South Korean National Assembly voted to lift martial law.

At the plenary session, the resolution calling for the abolition of martial law was adopted in the presence of 190 deputies, all of whom voted in favor. “After the adoption of this resolution, the decision to declare martial law is invalid,” said the office of the Speaker of the National Assembly.

National Assembly Speaker Wu Won Sik said that “based on the National Assembly's proposal, the president should immediately lift martial law,” adding that his “declaration is now invalid.”

Article 77(1) 5 of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea states that “if the National Assembly requests the lifting of martial law by a majority vote of the total number of members of the National Assembly, the president must comply with the request.”

At around 8:30 p.m. Polish time, the president announced that due to the parliament's decision, he would lift martial law, which the government agreed to after 9 p.m. Polish time. Yonhap said the South Korean army had disbanded the martial law command staff appointed by the president.

Leader of the ruling conservative People's Power Party, Han Dong Hun, on his way to the National Assembly in SeoulPAP/EPA/YONHAP

Soldiers leave the main parliament building

Around 6 p.m. Polish time, local TV stations showed soldiers withdrawing from the parliament building. Some of them remained on its premises – the website of the daily “Dzoson Ilbo” reported.

According to this newspaper, the crowd gathered in front of the entrance to the parliament building cheered upon learning of the vote result. Among the chants were slogans calling for the resignation of President Jun Suk Jeol.

Opposition leader Li Jae Mjung said anyone who now acts on the orders of Jun and military commanders is “breaking the law because martial law is invalid.”

The military leaves parliamentPAP/EPA/YONHAP

The US is monitoring the situation

A White House spokesman, even before the National Assembly made its decision, said the president's administration Joe Biden is in contact with the government in Seoul and is closely monitoring the situation.

After the parliament's unanimous decision, Vedant Patel, deputy spokesman for the US Department of State, commented on the situation. “We expect a peaceful resolution of the dispute and proceeding in accordance with the law, which includes the South Korean parliament's vote to end martial law,” he said. He assured that the administration USA was not informed about the declaration of martial law in South Korea. However, he emphasized that the alliance with Seoul remains strong and “iron.” “We are observing these events with grave concern,” Patel said during a press briefing. Asked if the US wanted President Jun to follow the National Assembly's subsequent vote to end martial law, he replied that “of course such a vote in the legislature would be consistent with this approach (based on the rule of law – editor).”

At the same time, Patel refused to assess the actions of the South Korean president or his justification for imposing martial law.

About 28,500 American troops are stationed in South Korea to protect the country from the North.

Tensions are rising

The level of tensions between North and South Korea has been very high recently.

In January, the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced that his country will no longer seek reconciliation and unification with South Korea. In October, Kim once again threatened to use nuclear weapons if his country was attacked. The president of South Korea warned that if North Korea uses nuclear weapons, “it will lead to the collapse of the regime.”

The border between North and South KoreaPAP/Maciej Zieliński

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Author:acre, mjz/kab, akw

Main photo source: PAP/EPA/SOUTH KOREA PRESIDENT OFFICE / YONHAP / HANDOUT



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