South Korean president's martial law attempt ends in quick parliament defeat
South Korea faced its biggest political shake-up in years when president tried to declare martial law. Parliament quickly blocked the move forcing immediate cancellation of the decree
In a dramatic turn-of-events President Yoon Suk Yeol had to cancel his martial-law decree just hours after announcing it on Dec 4th. The short-lived attempt to limit political activities caused nation-wide shock
The late-night TV announcement by Yoon aimed at so-called anti-state forces didnt last long: parliament members gathered for an emergency vote. A total of 190 lawmakers (including members from presidents own party) rejected the decree which would have put media under strict control
Outside the parliament building happy citizens celebrated the outcome with drums and chants. “We won“ echoed through the crowd as news spread about the forced cancellation of martial-law
The situation caught attention of South Koreas main ally — the United States. Kurt Campbell the Deputy Secretary of State expressed his thoughts:
We are watching events with grave concern and hope for peaceful resolution
This first martial-law attempt since early 80s shows how far South Korea moved towards democracy; its position as major Asian economy and US partner made the situation even more significant. The president announced a cabinet meeting would happen soon to discuss next steps
