South Korea president to lift martial law after parliamentary vote, protests

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced early Wednesday that he would lift the martial law order he imposed just hours earlier. The decree had plunged the country into its most significant democratic crisis in decades but was swiftly rejected by parliament in a unanimous vote.

Yoon stated that military personnel deployed under the martial law order had been withdrawn and that the order would be formally lifted after a cabinet meeting once members convene.

Martial Law and Controversy

The president declared martial law late Tuesday, citing a need to counter “anti-state forces” within the opposition party, which holds a parliamentary majority. Yoon accused the opposition of sympathizing with North Korea.

However, the move was met with immediate backlash. Lawmakers convened and passed a motion rejecting the decree, with 190 out of 300 members voting in favor. Protesters gathered outside the National Assembly, demanding Yoon’s impeachment and arrest.

Under South Korean law, martial law can only be rescinded through parliamentary approval.

Widespread Condemnation

Yoon’s declaration drew sharp criticism from across the political spectrum, including members of his conservative People Power Party and the opposition Democratic Party. Critics likened the president’s actions to the authoritarian leadership of South Korea’s pre-democratic era in the 1980s, a stark departure from the democratic norms the country has upheld for decades.

Military Actions and Public Response

According to Yonhap, the military announced restrictions on political gatherings and the media, as well as orders for striking doctors to return to work within 48 hours. The ongoing doctors’ strike, which began in response to government plans to expand medical school enrollment, had already caused months of disruption.

TV footage showed helmeted soldiers and armed personnel stationed outside the National Assembly, blocking entrances and facing off with parliamentary aides, some of whom used fire extinguishers to push them back. Military helicopters landed on Assembly grounds, while others hovered above the site.

“I am so angry, I am beyond confused,” said Im Jin-soo, a 66-year-old demonstrator. “I came out to protect democracy. During the dictators’ era, we couldn’t rise up, but now we can.”

The Path Ahead

Yoon’s decision to rescind martial law may de-escalate the immediate crisis, but the fallout from his unprecedented move has left South Korea’s democratic institutions and leadership under intense scrutiny.