North Korea’s “fat little dictator” Kim Jong-un and his pal Mad Vlad Putin will be emboldened by internal politics in South Korea descending into chaos – and could even invade, warns war expert Professor Antony Glees. The world was stunned when South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law in the democratic country for the first time in fifty years.
The President’s late-night pronouncement, which sparked immediate protests outside the parliament, mentioned national security and a potential invasion from North Korea. However, it was voted down by lawmakers who claimed it was “illegal and unconstitutional”.
The drastic declaration, which will be music to the ears of “longtime friends” Putin and Kim Jong-un, is understood to have been made to fend off political attacks, as the army were briefly in charge with military personnel deployed to the national parliament. There was also a statement issued banning all gatherings by parliament and political organisations, while media publications would also fall under military control.
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(Image: South Korean Presidential Office)
The immediate future of politics in South Korea remains unclear but it is understood President Yoon will reverse the declaration after the vote in parliament blocked the move.
Prof Anthony Glees warned Kim Jong-un “will feel fully entitled to take a swipe at South Korea”. He told the Daily Star: “This is clearly a major crisis for Western values in the Asia-Pacific and a major headache for outgoing president Biden, currently gone awol, visiting Angola of all places so very far away from the White House.
(Image: YONHAP/AFP via Getty Images)
“South Korea is America’s staunchest ally in East Asia. There are 30,000 US troops there, in a constant state of battle readiness in case North Korea’s fat little dictator Kim Jong-un should decide he wants to invade.
“As everyone knows, North Korea is Putin’s biggest buddy in the region but more than that has in the past few weeks sent 10,000 crack troops to help Russia push Zelensky’s brave forces out of the Kursk incursion. We’re told that once they’d had their fill of the porn that’s denied them in North Korea, they started to fight quite fiercely and have sustained heavy losses, including at least one North Korean general.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
“So North Korea will feel fully entitled to take a swipe at South Korea, protected by Putin. Even though the cause of the current crisis in South Korea is the internal politics there, it’s the repercussions that are the big problem for us in the West.”
Prof Anthony Glees added Jong-un and Putin will be “laughing their heads off” if the internal politics in South Korea continues to deteriorate. He said: “It’s a very grave crisis because it will likely play out very badly.
(Image: Getty Images)
“If South Korea does descend into anarchy, the people who are smiling now, chiefly Putin and Kim Jong-un, will be laughing their heads off.”
Prof Grees explained that the political disruption in South Korea is down to a power struggle between the President and the leader of the biggest party in parliament.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
He said: “President Yoon Suk Yeol, a hard right conservative and leader of the People Power party, elected by popular vote (rather like the US president) has been battling the more liberal Democratic Party, led by Lee Jae-myung in the National Assembly where Lee’s the largest party has a majority (52% v 45%) and has been trying to nail Yoon for what the DP says are his corrupt practices.
“Yoon justifies martial law (last proclaimed in South Korea in the late 1980s) on the grounds that Lee is plotting with North Korean Communists to take over the government of South Korea.
“Even as I write this, the National Assembly says Yoon has acted unlawfully and South Korean cops have surrounded the building. We must fear serious violence.
(Image: KCNA VIA KNS/AFP via Getty Image)
“In other words what’s going on is about internal shenanigans in South Korea. This is not about an imminent invasion by North Korea. But that could come.
“Yesterday Starmer said it was important that the UK should be ‘constant and responsible’ in ‘turbulent times’. He had no idea of what was about to erupt in South Korea but he was right about one thing, these are certainly turbulent times.”
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