South Korea’s president declares martial law, accusing opposition of anti-government activity

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law Tuesday, vowing to eliminate “anti-state” militias as he battles an opposition party that controls the country’s parliament that it accuses of sympathizing with communist North Korea.

The dramatic move harkens back to an era of authoritarian leaders the country has not seen since the 1980s, and was immediately criticized by the opposition and the leader of Yoon’s own conservative party.

After Yoon’s announcement, South Korea’s military announced that parliament and other political gatherings that might cause “public confusion” would be suspended, according to state-run Yonhap news agency.

The military also said that the country’s doctors who are on strike must return to work within 48 hours, Yonhap said. Thousands of doctors have been on strike for months because of government plans to increase the number of students in medical schools.

It was not immediately clear how long Yoon’s martial law declaration would last. Under South Korean law, martial law can be lifted by a majority vote in parliament, where the opposition Democratic Party holds a majority. Television footage shows police closing the door to the National Assembly.

The leader of Yoon’s conservative People Power Party, Han Dong-hoon, called the decision to impose martial law “wrong” and vowed to “stop it with the people.” Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, called Yoon’s announcement “illegal and unconstitutional.”

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 “eliminate pro-North Korea forces and protect the democratic order in the constitution.”

“I will eliminate the anti-government forces immediately and normalize the country,” he said, while asking people to believe in him and endure “some disruption.”

Yoon – whose approval rating has dipped in recent months – has struggled to push his agenda against an opposition-controlled parliament since taking office in 2022.

Yoon’s party is locked in the middle of opposition parties over next year’s budget bill. The opposition has also tried to pass proposals to impeach three top prosecutors, including the head of the Seoul District Prosecutors Office, in what conservatives call a vendetta against their criminal probe of Lee, who has emerged as a favorite. the next presidential election of 2027 in the polls.

Yoon has been dismissing calls for an independent investigation into scandals involving his wife and senior officials, drawing swift and strong rebuke from his political rivals. The Democratic Party is reported to have called an emergency meeting of its lawmakers following Yoon’s announcement.

Yoon’s move is the first declaration of martial law since the country’s 1987 democratization. The last martial law in the country was in October 1979.