South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol reverses martial law after lawmakers defied him
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol reversed course on a martial law order early Wednesday, hours after his surprise decree sparked intense political backlash and fierce protests in the nation's capital.
Opposition leaders called the move unconstitutional and vowed to fight back. Parliament passed a motion requiring Yoon to lift his declaration. Photos and videos showed parliamentary staffers emptying fire extinguishers at armed martial law forces as they tried to breach the National Assembly.
Hours after his declaration, Yoon's ruling party urged him to drop the declaration, citing the parliamentary vote, and Yoon said he would reverse course. At about 4:30 a.m. local time Wednesday, the Cabinet approved a motion to end martial law, Yonhap news agency reported.
"Democracy is at the foundation of the U.S.-ROK alliance, and we will continue to monitor the situation," a White House spokesperson said after Yoon lifted his order, referring to South Korea by the initials of its official name, the Republic of Korea.
The surprise declaration came as Yoon's People Power Party and the opposition Democratic Party were locked in a political battle over a budget bill.
The president's party suffered a landslide defeat at a parliamentary election in April, with the opposition capturing nearly two-thirds of the seats.
Yoon had said in a late-night television address that he made the declaration "to protect the free Republic of Korea from the threat of North Korean communist forces, to eradicate the despicable pro-North Korean anti-state forces that are plundering the freedom and happiness of our people, and to protect the free constitutional order."
Seoul is a close American ally and trade partner. A U.S. official said President Biden has been briefed on the situation.
"The U.S. was not notified in advance of this announcement," the White House National Security Council said in a statement after martial law was declared. "We are seriously concerned by the developments we are seeing on the ground."
"The Administration is in contact with the ROK government and is monitoring the situation closely,” the U.S. Defense Department said in a statement.
"Tanks, armored personnel carriers and soldiers with guns and knives will rule the country," Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, which has the majority in parliament, said in a livestream as armed troops took to the streets. "The economy of the Republic of Korea will collapse irretrievably. My fellow citizens, please come to the National Assembly."
Yonhap news agency reported that the entrance to the parliament building was blocked. At one point, parliamentary aides sprayed fire extinguishers to prevent helmeted troops from entering.
Yoon's declaration marked the first time in more than 40 years that the government has declared martial law. Former dictator Chun Doo-Hwan declared martial law in 1980 after seizing power in a military coup.
In the intervening years, South Korea has become a leading Asian democracy and commercial powerhouse whose main industries include steel, textiles, consumer electronics, and car manufacturing.
Syd Seiler, a nonresident senior adviser with the Center for Strategic and International Studies Korea Chair, called the declaration a "back-to-the-future scenario."
Many factors led to the law declaration, Seiler said: Yoon's "sublevel popularity," an "emboldened and uncooperative" opposition focused on weakening his standing, and the failure of a budget proposal that probably was Yoon's one chance "to regain the upper hand."
Martial law declaration sparks calls for impeachment
Yoon's critics called for him to step down after his martial law declaration sparked a wave of fury.
The main opposition Democratic Party said Yoon — who has been in office since 2022 — should step down or face impeachment. A coalition of lawmakers from opposition parties said they planned to propose a bill to impeach Yoon on Wednesday that should be voted on within 72 hours.
South Korea's largest union coalition, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, said thousands of members would strike until Yoon resigned, and the coalition planned to hold a rally in downtown Seoul.
Yoon's chief of staff and more than ten senior secretaries to the president have handed in their resignations, CNN reported, citing the president’s office.
Bad memories of past martial law
But South Korea's historical memory of martial law four decades ago could make the backlash against Yoon's declaration even more severe, Seiler said.
"The No. 1 goal of the opposition is to ensure that all of President Yoon's credentials as democratically elected president are now tarnished," he said.
South Korea is a major U.S. military and economic partner in Asia, and the U.S. has maintained a large troop presence there since the end of the Korean War in 1953.
South Korea hosts one of the largest U.S. overseas military bases, home to about 28,000 troops. The troops act as a deterrent against nuclear-armed North Korea and are there to defend South Korea against any attacks from Pyongyang.
Seiler said it's unlikely the declaration will have any impact on U.S. forces in the country. Historically, the U.S. "stayed committed through thick and thin" to its military relationship with South Korea, he said.
The U.S. has mutual defense agreements in place with South Korea. During President-elect Donald Trump's first term, he demanded billions of dollars more to extend those agreements.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Contributing: Reuters