Name: South Korean president declares martial law
Uploaded: 2024-12-03T15:58:05.159Z
Duration: 3 min
Description: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in an unannounced late-night TV address, saying the move was necessary to protect the country from “communist forces.”

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in an unannounced late-night TV address, saying the move was necessary to protect the country from “communist forces.”

Seoul

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has declared martial law in a late-night television announcement, aiming to protect the nation from what he described as "communist forces." His televised address outlined the urgency of safeguarding the country from North Korea's influence and dealing with anti-state elements. The president indicated that the government is being hindered by opposition forces in the National Assembly striving to impeach him.

The unexpected announcement has led to confusion and concern within South Korea, particularly in the capital city of Seoul. Police officers are in communication with their families and others to understand the implications. While the government claims martial law is necessary for stability, the move has drawn criticism as illegal from opposition leaders who are attempting to reverse the decision.

Protests have erupted, with demonstrators converging on the National Assembly to express their dissent. The situation is still evolving, with clashes reported between protesters and police. The imposition of martial law marks a significant shift in South Korea, a nation that has not experienced such measures since the end of its military dictatorship in the 1980s. Observers and citizens alike are closely watching the unfolding events to comprehend potential consequences.



South Korean president declares martial law

Following this out of South Korea, the president there has declared martial law in a late-night TV address. New video here of that announcement made by Yoon Suk-yool on national TV. Just after 10.30pm in the evening, in his address, he said the move was necessary to protect against North Korea's communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements. We'll see it. It's Mike Valerio. Joining us now from Seoul, Mike. Well, Becky, I can tell you I ran over here to the bureau. I live just a couple of minutes away. We are in the heart of Seoul and police are on their phones calling each other, calling families and loved ones, asking what is going on. To say that this has thrown the country into disarray is perhaps the understatement of the evening right here. As you mentioned, an unplanned televised address saying that martial law is needed in this bastion of stability in East Asia in order to weed out the country of pro-North Korea, quote-unquote, pro-communist forces. Certainly, the government of Yoon Suk-yool, conservative politician here in South Korea, very weak since he was elected into office several years ago. The opposition now, the leaders of the opposition forces heading to parliament a couple of kilometers away from where we're broadcasting at the moment, saying that this is an illegal move and doing what they can in the next few hours to reverse this. So, Becky, the country finds itself in a state of martial law for the first time since the era of military dictatorship ended in the 1980s. And what we are trying to figure out is how exactly declaring martial law forwards the goals that the president set out in his speech of trying to weed out anti-North Korean and anti-communist forces. He told the nation and told members of the National Assembly in his televised address that the government that he presides over has been, in his view, paralyzed with opposition forces, members of the National Assembly trying to impeach him and trying to impeach several ministers in the government. But why exactly the opposition forces trying to exert their constitutional power has led to this historic move in an instant? That is what we are all asking ourselves. So, there are family members, in addition to police, who are out late at night trying to figure out what they need to do to be safe. It certainly is a situation that is developing by the minute. Nobody is quite sure what to do, but there are protesters who are heading to the National Assembly to make their voices known, and they are clashing with police. We are going to check in and see what is going on there.

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