Martial Law in South Korea Spurs People to Defend Democracy

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People Rise Against South Korea’s Martial Law Imposition

By Raisina Correspondent

New Delhi, December 3: In late-night development in Seoul, the people threw ring-fence to stop the military from trooping into National Assembly of South Korea. The people thronged to protest the imposition of the martial law in South Korea.

“There is a hard struggle ongoing in defence of Korean democracy by the South Korean people. They are using their bodies to try and block soldiers from entering the National Assembly,” said Joesph Kim in a post on X while sharing images of the people holding the miliary personnel against entering into National Assembly.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced imposition of the martial law in a late-night address to the nation. He reasoned threat to the nation from anti-state forces within the country.

But South Korean observers are arguing that the President “has done what seems a de facto coup in order to block impeachment procedures”. The South Korean President is facing the Opposition heat amid the ongoing corruption investigations of his wife. Senior government officials are also mired in corruption scandals in South Korea.

Video footages showed the South Korean military personnel enforcing martial law by attempting to enter the building of the National Assembly. The footages going viral on the internet showed scuffles between the people and the military personnel outside the National Assembly.

The local YTN TV channel continues to report the live footage of the scuffle between the people and the military personnel. The South Korean President appears to have taken the alibi of North Kora to impose the martial law while facing Opposition heat over corruption scandals.

“Citizens gathered at the entrance, including deputies, do not allow a small detachment of soldiers into the building. So far, the civilians have managed to hold back the soldiers,” added Kim in his post.

He stated that “there is a hard struggle ongoing in defence of Korean democracy by the South Korean people. Cheers erupted as soldiers are pulling back from the building. For now, the South Korean people have successfully stopped soldiers from entering parliament”.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in a late-night address to the nation. He reasoned that the measure was necessitated to deal with North Korean forces within the country.

South Korean President went live on the state-run television to announce imposition of the martial law, which had last been amended in 2017.

The South Korean President cited “anti-state forces” for imposing the martial law in the country. He reasoned that the martial law was needed to “protect liberal democratic order” of South Korea.

He expressed concerns at the presence of “pro-North Korean anti-state forces” within the country. The martial law has been imposed according to the Article 77 of the South Korean constitution which states that “when it is required to cope with a military necessity or to maintain the public safety and order by mobilization of the military forces in time of war, armed conflict or similar national emergency, the President may proclaim martial law”.

There is also a law that gives direction to the government for imposing martial law. Martial law in South Korea had also been imposed in the 1980s.

Yoon said in his television address: “I am declaring martial law to protect a free South Korea from the North Korean communist forces, eliminate shameless pro-North Korean and anti-state forces that prey upon the freedom and happiness of our people, and protect the free constitutional order. I will rebuild and protect South Korea from ruin and despair through martial law.”

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