South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol will LIFT martial legislation simply hours after gorgeous the world and declaring emergency

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Wednesday he would lift a martial law declaration he had imposed just hours before, backing down in a stunning standoff with parliament which rejected his attempt to ban political activity and censor the media.

Yoon declared martial law on Tuesday night to thwart ‘anti-state forces’ among his opponents, but outraged lawmakers rejected the decree, in South Korea‘s biggest political crisis in decades. 

South Korean Yonhap news agency said the cabinet had agreed in the early hours of Wednesday to scrap the martial law.

Protesters outside parliament shouted and clapped while chanting ‘We won!’, and one demonstrator banged on a drum.

Cho Kuk, head of a minor opposition party, met protesters outside parliament and said: ‘This isn’t over. He put all the people in shock.’ He vowed to impeach Yoon by putting together votes from other parties.

Yoon’s surprise declaration of martial law, which he cast as aimed at his political foes, was unanimously voted down by 190 lawmakers in parliament. 

His own party urged him to lift the decree. Under South Korean law, the president must immediately lift martial law if parliament demands it by a majority vote.

When Yoon retracted his decision on Wednesday morning, he said:’ Dear citizens, I declared martial law at 11 o’clock last night with a firm will to save the country against anti-state forces that are trying to paralyse the essential functions of the state and destroy the constitutional order of liberal democracy.

‘However, a little while ago, the National Assembly demanded the lifting of martial law, so the troops deployed for martial law affairs were withdrawn.

‘Martial law will be lifted immediately by accepting the National Assembly’s request through a State Council (cabinet) meeting.

‘However, although we have immediately convened a State Council meeting, as it is still early in the morning and the quorum for resolution has not yet been met, martial law will be lifted as soon as it is reached.

‘However, we request the National Assembly to immediately stop its reckless actions that paralyse the functions of the state through repeated impeachment, legislative manipulation, and budget manipulation’.

The leader of South Korea’s ruling party has now also called on the president to explain his decision to impose martial law.

Han Dong-hoon, who leads the president’s own People’s Power Party, urged the president to ‘personally and thoroughly explain this dire situation in detail’.

Dong-hoon also called for the defence minister, who proposed the martial law, to be fired and others responsible to be ‘held strictly accountable’.

‘As the ruling party, we will do everything within our power to minimise economic and diplomatic damage,’ he said.

After Yoon’s announcement of martial law in a late-night television address, the military said activities by parliament and political parties would be banned, and that media and publishers would be under the control of the martial law command.

Yoon did not cite any specific threat from the nuclear-armed North, instead focusing on his domestic political opponents. It is the first time since 1980 that martial law has been declared in South Korea.

Lee Jae-myung, leader of the liberal Democratic Party, which holds the majority in the 300-seat parliament, said: ‘Democratic Party lawmakers, including me and many others, will protect our country’s democracy and future and public safety, lives and properties, with our own lives’.

Seemingly hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the Assembly, waving banners and calling for Yoon’s impeachment.

Some protesters scuffled with troops ahead of the legislators’ vote, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or major property damage.

At least one window was broken as troops attempted to enter the Assembly building.

One woman tried unsuccessfully to pull a rifle away from one of the soldiers, while shouting ‘Aren’t you embarrassed?’

Shocking images showing dozens of riot cops and armed police officers pushing back enraged rioters outside the National Assembly shortly after Yoon’s address was broadcast to the nation.

Meanwhile, news cameras captured the moment helicopters descended from the evening skies and landed on top of the parliament building before troops disembarked and began locking down the location. 

Other footage and pictures later showed heavily armed soldiers in tactical equipment stalking through the hallways of the National Assembly. Parliamentary aides were seen trying to push the soldiers back by spraying fire extinguishers.

British nationals in South Korea were advised to avoid political demonstrations after martial law was declared. 

The UK Foreign Office issued new travel advice warning British nationals to ‘follow the advice of local authorities’ and ‘avoid political demonstrations’.

A Downing Street spokesman described the situation as ‘very fast-moving’ and said the Government was ‘closely monitoring developments in South Korea’ as he urged British nationals to keep an eye on the Foreign Office’s advice.

Under South Korea’s constitution, the president can declare martial law during ‘wartime, war-like situations or other comparable national emergency states’ that require the use of military force to maintain peace and order.

It was questionable whether South Korea is currently in such a state.

When martial law is declared, ‘special measures’ can be employed to restrict the freedom of press, freedom of assembly and other rights, as well as the power of courts.

The constitution also states that the president must oblige when the National Assembly demands the lifting of martial law with a majority vote.

Following Mr Yoon’s announcement, South Korea’s military proclaimed that parliament and other political gatherings that could cause ‘social confusion’ would be suspended, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said.

In Washington, the White House said the US was ‘seriously concerned’ by the events in Seoul.

A spokesperson for the National Security Council said President Joe Biden’s administration was not notified in advance of the martial law announcement and was in contact with the South Korean government.

Speaking at an event with Japan’s ambassador to Washington, US deputy secretary of state Kurt Campbell, a longtime Asia diplomat, reiterated that the US-South Korea alliance is ‘ironclad’ and the US would ‘stand by Korea in their time of uncertainty’.

‘I also want to just underscore that we have every hope and expectation that any political disputes will be resolved peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law,’ Mr Campbell said.

The South Korean military also said that the country’s striking doctors should return to work within 48 hours, Yonhap said.

Thousands of doctors have been striking for months over government plans to expand the number of students at medical schools.

The military said anyone who violates the decree could be arrested without a warrant.

Soon after the declaration, the parliament speaker called on his YouTube channel for all legislators to gather at the National Assembly.

He urged military and law enforcement personnel to ‘remain calm and hold their positions’.

All 190 legislators who participated in the vote supported the lifting of martial law.

Television footage showed soldiers who had been stationed at parliament leaving the site after the vote.

Hours earlier, TV showed police officers blocking the entrance of the National Assembly and helmeted soldiers carrying rifles in front of the building.

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’.

Lee, 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 ‘eradicate pro-North Korean forces and protect the constitutional democratic order’.

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

Yoon, a career prosecutor who was elected in May 2022 by a margin of less than one per cent, has been unpopular, with his support ratings hovering at around 20 per cent for months.

His People Power Party (PPP) suffered a landslide defeat at a parliamentary election in April this year, ceding control of the unicameral assembly to opposition parties that captured nearly two-thirds of the seats.

Yoon’s popularity has tanked in particular due to his dismissal of calls for independent investigations into scandals involving his wife and top officials – drawing quick, strong rebukes from his political rivals.

Natalia Slavney, research analyst at Stimson Centre’s 38 North website that focuses on Korean affairs, said Yoon’s imposition of martial law was ‘a serious backslide of democracy in South Korea’ that followed a ‘worrying trend of abuse’ since he took office in 2022.

‘It remains to be seen what the political fallout of this brief emergency martial law will be – both domestically and internationally. But South Korea has a robust history of political pluralism and is no stranger to mass protests and swift impeachments,’ Slavney said.