Photo: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on December 3, claiming it was necessary to address what he called the paralysis of the government by his political opponents. In a late-night address broadcast on South Korea's YTN news channel, Yoon, a member of the People Power Party, stated that the opposition, which controls the national assembly, had obstructed government functions. He accused them of intimidating judges, impeaching a significant number of prosecutors, and even disrupting the executive branch by removing key officials, including the minister of public administration, the chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, the chairman of the Board of Audit and Inspection, and the minister of national defense.
Yoon also criticized his opponents for allegedly sympathizing with North Korea's communist regime. He argued that the declaration of martial law was necessary to safeguard the Republic of Korea from North Korean threats and to rid the country of anti-state forces that he claimed were undermining freedom and stability.
In response, opposition leader Lee Jae-myung condemned the martial law declaration, labeling it "illegal and unconstitutional." He urged South Koreans to rally at the national assembly in protest.
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