South Korea’s president said he would lift a martial law declaration he had imposed just hours before, honouring a parliamentary vote against the measure.
President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on Tuesday to thwart “antistate forces” among his opponents. However, lawmakers rejected the declaration, as protesters gathered outside parliament in the country’s biggest political crisis in decades.
“In light of the National Assembly’s demand to lift martial law, I ordered the withdrawal of military forces involved in martial law operations,” Yoon said in a televised address. “Through an immediate cabinet meeting, we will accept the National Assembly’s request and proceed to revoke martial law.”
Early Wednesday morning, the cabinet agreed to reverse the decision and lift martial law.
Yoon’s surprise declaration, which he cast as aimed at his political foes, was unanimously voted down by 190 lawmakers in the parliament.
Under South Korean law, the president must immediately lift martial law if parliament demands it by a majority vote. His own party urged him to lift the decree.
Nevertheless, Yoon called on parliament to immediately “cease repeated acts of impeachment, legislative obstruction, and other reckless actions that paralyse the government”.
Al Jazeera’s Eunice Kim, reporting from the capital Seoul, said it seemed the country was now “pivoting towards a direction of more normalcy”.
“But this could be short-lived because the political opponents of President Yoon will certainly not just sit on their hands and pretend that nothing happened. This is a decision that comes with consequences.”
Since taking office in 2022, Yoon has struggled to push his agenda against an opposition-controlled parliament. Yoon has also been dismissing calls for independent investigations into scandals involving his wife and top officials, drawing quick, strong rebukes from his political rivals.
The crisis in a country that has been a democracy since the 1980s, and is a US ally and major Asian economy, caused international alarm.
Entrance to the National Assembly was sealed on Tuesday and parliamentarians were barred from entering the building, according to local news outlet Yonhap.
General Park An-soo, the martial law commander, announced a number of measures under the declaration, including prohibitions on all political activities, “including those of the National Assembly, local councils, political parties, and political associations, as well as assemblies [and] demonstrations”.
The order prohibited labour strikes and slowdowns, as well as “gatherings that incite social disorder”. It further stated that all media will be placed under the control of the Martial Law Command.
“Any acts that deny or attempt to overthrow the liberal democratic system, as well as the dissemination of fake news, manipulation of public opinion, or false propaganda,” the order said.
Healthcare workers, including doctors who are currently on strike, must return to work within 48 hours or risk punishment.
“Violators of this proclamation will be subject to arrest, detention, and search and seizure without a warrant,” the commander noted.
