Foreign Media Also Urgently Report 'Han Emergency Martial Law': "Destruction of Democracy... Test for the Han-US Alliance" (Comprehensive)

US Media Also Cover in Real-Time Headlines
NYT "South Korea-US Alliance Faces Major Test in Decades"
Bloomberg "Can US Rely on Han in Crisis?"

"The declaration of martial law in South Korea, which Joe Biden praised as a model democratic country, has brought the South Korea-US alliance to its biggest test in decades." (The New York Times (NYT))

"The shocking declaration of martial law by President Yoon Suk-yeol, which was rejected by the National Assembly, risks jeopardizing the success of deeply rooted democracy over decades. It presents a difficult dilemma for Washington on whether it can continue to rely on its ally Seoul." (Bloomberg News)

When President Yoon Suk-yeol announced in an emergency statement in the early hours of the 4th that the emergency martial law declared the previous day would be lifted in response to the National Assembly's demand, foreign media also urgently reported the news with significant emphasis.

US media filled their homepage headlines with news of President Yoon's martial law declaration, reporting the situation in South Korea in real time. In particular, they pointed to South Korea's martial law declaration as a regression of democracy and assessed that the US faces a difficult situation regarding whether it can rely on South Korea, a key ally it has regarded as a model democratic nation.

The Associated Press (AP) reported that "President Yoon's move is the first declaration of martial law since democratization in 1987," adding, "His astonishing action recalls a return to an era of authoritarian leaders not seen since the 1980s." The NYT also reported, "For the first time since the end of military dictatorship in the late 1980s, a South Korean president has declared martial law."

President Yoon's declaration of emergency martial law stemmed from a political crisis including a drop in approval ratings and was "intended to suppress the opposition party," according to The Washington Post (WP).

WP reported, "President Yoon blamed the opposition party for unprecedented impeachment attempts against government officials and next year's budget cuts," adding, "Since taking office in 2022, President Yoon has struggled with low approval ratings, and political backlash related to his wife and senior officials of the ruling People Power Party is growing." AP reported, "President Yoon dismissed calls for an independent investigation into scandals involving his wife and senior officials, which immediately drew strong criticism from his political opponents."

US media particularly focused on the impact on Washington's diplomacy and security given that South Korea is a key US ally in the Indo-Pacific region.

The NYT noted, "South Korea, hosting about 30,000 US troops, is the most important US ally in Asia, symbolizing democracy in a region where authoritarian and democratic states compete," adding, "President Yoon's move appears to have surprised the Biden administration." It further analyzed, "Biden, who has framed diplomacy as democracy versus dictatorship, has strengthened the military alliance with South Korea as a defense against North Korea, China, and Russia," and "Biden will face a difficult choice on how to handle this crisis."

Bloomberg News expressed concern, saying, "South Korea, one of the most aligned and strongest US allies in the (Asia) region, has revealed undemocratic principles," and "China could exploit this fact to showcase the advantages of its own system over the West." It continued, "Can Washington continue to rely on Seoul, a firm and reliable US ally?" and assessed, "President Yoon's subversion and destruction of democracy presents a difficult dilemma for Washington."