People Power Party Demands Lifting of Martial Law as Party Stance: "Please Accept the National Assembly's Decision"

The People Power Party requested President Yoon Suk-yeol on the 4th to lift the martial law.

Bae Jun-young, the senior deputy floor leader of the People Power Party, met with reporters at the party headquarters that day and said, "108 members of the People Power Party discussed response measures under the chairmanship of the floor leader at the party headquarters," adding, "Although the discussion on response measures is not yet complete, we have gathered the will of the members and, since the National Assembly has passed a resolution related to lifting the martial law, we request the president to accept that opinion and lift it."

When asked by reporters whether this was the party's official stance, Deputy Floor Leader Bae replied, "Yes."

President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law, and on the 4th, citizens gathered in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, urging the lifting of martial law. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

Earlier, on the previous day, President Yoon Suk-yeol held a briefing at 10:30 p.m. and stated, "To protect the free Republic of Korea from the threat of North Korean communist forces and to eradicate the shameless pro-North anti-state forces who plunder the freedom and happiness of our people at once, and to uphold the free constitutional order, I hereby declare martial law." Subsequently, the police blocked members of the National Assembly attempting to enter the National Assembly building, and martial law troops attempted to enter the National Assembly, leading to a crisis situation.

Afterwards, the National Assembly held a plenary session and passed a resolution to lift the martial law in accordance with Article 77, Paragraph 5 of the Constitution, which states that "when a majority of the total members of the National Assembly request the lifting of martial law, the president shall lift it." A total of 190 members participated in the resolution.