What’s happening in South Korea? While in the Middle East the clash rages between Israel and Hamas, between Israel and Lebanon and between Tel Aviv and Iran; while Russia and Ukraine have been fighting for two years now; as Syria descends into chaos with the fall of Aleppo; now the waters are moving in Korea too. The president, Yoon Suk Yeolin fact, declared the emergency martial law in the country, causing shock and concern both nationally and internationally. This surprising announcement was made during a speech broadcast on national television, marking a moment of heightened political tension in South Korea.
Yoon’s decision comes amid escalating tensions between the government and the Democratic Party ofopposition. The mutual accusations between the parties have raised fears of a blockade of the legislative process and a deterioration of the country’s governance. The president justified his drastic action by pointing the finger at the opposition for its alleged control of Parliament, sympathies for North Korea and activities considered anti-state which, according to him, threaten the constitutional order of the nation.
The accusations leveled against the Democratic Party by the president are multiple. Yoon criticized the opposition for having attempted to paralyze the justice system through undue pressure on judges and prosecutors, as well as attempts to dismiss key government figures, including the Minister of the Interior and the Minister of Defense. He also condemned the opposition’s proposal to drastically cut the state budget, branding Parliament a “den of criminals”.
TO Seoul There were clashes between the police and demonstrators outside the National Assembly building, a sign of the growing state of tension between the police and the population. The protesters would like to enter the Parliament building to occupy it.
The Democratic Party, the target of Yoon’s statements, called an emergency meeting to formulate a response to the current situation. The discord between the ruling party and the opposition is evident, and the international community is following with apprehension the escalation of the political conflict within the country. Yoon is in fact also in the crosshairs for alleged scandals involving his wife and high officials, so much so that the parties that do not support him had called for his impeachment. The opposition called citizens to take to the streets.
The effects of martial law on the daily lives of South Koreans are starting to be felt, with a reinforced military presence on the streets and an increase in security measures. South Korea’s Defense Ministry convened a meeting of senior military commanders and called for enhanced vigilance. As a martial law commander he was appointed Park An-suhead of the Korean army. According to an opposition MP, the special forces also entered Parliament (even though the martial law command is prohibited from arresting parliamentarians).
At this point everything will depend on the armed forces: it is they who will have to decide whether to obey the President, who enacted martial law, enforcing the bans, or whether to recognize the vote against the Parliament. Apparently the troops are leaving the Assembly building. But, according to what has transpired, senior South Korean soldiers are intent on waiting for the president’s instructions before blocking the implementation of martial law, despite the Legislative Assembly’s vote against it.
Meanwhile, the United States government, says a White House National Security Council spokesperson, “is in contact with the government of the Republic of Korea and is closely monitoring the situation”. But the US hopes that Parliament’s vote against martial law “is respected”, as underlined by the deputy spokesperson of the State Department, Vedant Patel, in a briefing with journalists.
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