Martial law declared and reversed: What’s next for South Korea’s Yoon? Trending Global News

In a surprise address late Tuesday, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol cited a proposal by the main opposition Democratic Party, which has a parliamentary majority, to impeach chief prosecutors and reject the government budget proposal. Announced the imposition of law. ,

But less than two hours after declaring martial law, lawmakers forced the soldiers to vote to rescind their order. Yoon accepted the reversal six hours later.

Here’s what we know about the political impasse:

What happened in South Korea on Tuesday?

In an unscheduled televised address around 11 p.m. (14:00 GMT), Yun declared martial law, accusing the Democratic Party of being sympathetic to North Korea and engaging in anti-state activities.

His order briefly handed control over to the military, deploying troops and police to the National Assembly building, where helicopters were seen landing on the roof.

South Korean politicians strongly condemned Yoon’s announcement, calling it illegal and unconstitutional. Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung urged Democratic Party lawmakers to gather and vote to reject the declaration.

Thousands of people took to the streets, but despite the military presence the tension did not escalate into violence. Lawmakers managed to bypass the barricades, and when they reached the chamber, they unanimously voted to block the decree during a late-night emergency session, with 190 of South Korea’s 300 National Assembly members present.

At around 4:30 a.m. (19:30 GMT), Yoon said he would change his decision. He confirmed in a statement that the troops sent to carry out the order would be withdrawn, but reiterated his original justification for the decree.

What is martial law?

Martial law is a temporary form of rule by military authorities during a state of emergency.

The Constitution of South Korea states that the President may declare martial law if necessary to deal with a military threat or to maintain public safety and order by deploying military forces.

According to the Center for Strategies and International Studies (CSIS), Yun imposed emergency martial law.

by announcing emergency Martial law, Yun has authority”[limit] According to CSIS, freedom of speech, publication, assembly and association.

In this instance, the order placed all media outlets under martial law control and directed all medical personnel, including striking doctors, to resume work within 48 hours.

Thousands of doctors in South Korea have been on strike since early February over a proposal to expand medical school admissions, forcing hospitals to cancel treatments and surgeries. The government says the reforms are needed to address workforce shortages and manage the country’s transition to an aging society.

Youngshik Bong, a visiting professor at Yonsei University and an adviser to South Korea’s Unification Ministry, said the declaration of martial law under Article 77 of the Constitution should be reserved for the most serious situations, such as actual war.

“We but [didn’t] This is the situation,” Youngshik told Al Jazeera. “This is not a game the president can win.”

Why did Yun declare martial law?

The declaration of martial law comes after several months of declining public support, with a poll last week showing Yun’s approval rating falling to just 25 percent.

In his announcement, he focused on his domestic political opponents and did not cite any specific threat from North Korea. He complained about 22 impeachment motions filed against administration officials since he took office in May 2022.

Since taking office in 2022, Yun has faced challenges in pushing his agenda in the opposition-controlled parliament. His party is now locked in a standoff with the liberal opposition over next year’s budget.

Yun has also rejected calls for an independent investigation into scandals involving his wife and senior officials, drawing criticism from his political opponents.

Could Yoon now face impeachment?

A group of opposition lawmakers said they plan to introduce a bill to impeach Yun on Wednesday, which is expected to be voted on within 72 hours.

The National Assembly can impeach the President if more than two-thirds of MPs vote for it.

The Democratic Party, along with a few smaller parties, has 192 seats, just eight short of the 200 needed to impeach a president.

Some members of Yun’s People’s Power Party also strongly opposed his martial law declaration. It is unclear how many, if any, people would join the opposition if the motion were voted on.

If impeachment is voted on and approved, the case will be tried before the Constitutional Court, the nine-member body that oversees South Korea’s government branches. If six members of the court vote to sustain the impeachment, the President will be removed from office.

Earlier this morning, Yoon’s staff offered to resign en masse, although the president has yet to make any public appearances.

The Korean Trade Union Confederation, one of the country’s largest labor organizations, also called for a strike until Yoon resigns.

“In general, they don’t really participate in politics,” Alex Taek-gwang Lee, a professor of cultural studies at Kyung Hee University in Seoul, told Al Jazeera. “This will intensify the impeachment movement. And then I think Mr. Yoon will be impeached soon.

Yoon was inaugurated as President of South Korea on May 10, 2022.

What happens if Yoon leaves office?

The Prime Minister will serve as the acting leader. New elections should be held within 60 days.

More protests are expected in the next hours.

What have been the reactions?

Inside the country, protests broke out as South Koreans also began hoarding supplies. Local media reports indicate that between 11 pm (14:00 GMT) and midnight (15:00 GMT) the price of canned goods increased by 300 percent and the price of instant noodles increased by 250 percent. Sales of water, instant rice and batteries also saw significant growth, according to a report by Reuters news agency.

Internationally, the White House said it was “relieved” by Yun’s decision to reverse martial law.

Earlier, the United Kingdom and Germany said they were monitoring the incidents closely. Meanwhile, Russia said it is concerned about the crisis in South Korea. China urged its citizens in South Korea to exercise caution.