South Korea Ends Martial Law After Parliament Votes Against Military Rule

South Korea was thrown into political turmoil early Wednesday as President Yoon Suk Yeol lifted martial law just hours after imposing it, following intense backlash from lawmakers and public outcry.

The unprecedented move, which harkened back to the nation’s authoritarian past, saw troops briefly surround parliament before a bipartisan vote swiftly declared the martial law invalid. This dramatic six-hour episode underscores the mounting tensions between Yoon’s administration and an opposition-led parliament.

“Even with our unfortunate memories of military coups, our citizens have surely observed the events of today and saw the maturity of our military,” Woo said.

While announcing his plan to lift martial law, Yoon continued to criticize parliament’s attempts to impeach key government officials and senior prosecutors. He said lawmakers had engaged in “unscrupulous acts of legislative and budgetary manipulation that are paralyzing the functions of the state.”

Protests and calls for the impeachment of South Korean President Yoon Sang-won have been triggered by his declaration of martial law. The statement comes after a military coup in which maintaining peace and order necessitates the deployment of armed force. The president of South Korea is authorized by the constitution to impose martial law in times of war or other comparable national emergencies. Political rallies that might generate civil unrest have been banned by the military, which has also threatened to arrest anyone who disobeys the order without a warrant.

The United States has not informed President Joe Biden's administration of the declaration of martial law and has voiced alarm over the events in Seoul. Additionally, the South Korean military has mandated that striking physicians report back to work within 48 hours. The lifting of martial law was endorsed by all 190 lawmakers who took part in the voting. Yoon's conservative party's leader denounced the military's activities and called the decision "wrong".

Yoon said during a televised speech that martial law would help “rebuild and protect” the country from “falling into the depths of national ruin.” He said he would “eradicate pro-North Korean forces and protect the constitutional democratic order.”

“I will eliminate anti-state forces as quickly as possible and normalize the country,” he said, while asking the people to believe in him and tolerate “some inconveniences.”

Yoon San-soo, the president of South Korea, responded to the opposition-controlled parliament by declaring martial law, which is thought to be a symbolic gesture of his annoyance.

The action is part of a concerning pattern of abuse since Yoon assumed office in 2022, when the opposition tried to remove three senior prosecutors, including the head of the prosecutors' office in central Seoul. Political opposition have strongly criticized Yoon for rejecting calls for independent probes into incidents involving his wife and high-ranking officials. After a concerning pattern of misuse since Yoon gained office in 2022, the action is viewed as a significant reversal of democracy.