Sudden Martial Law Declaration Shocks Ruling and Opposition Parties
Ruling Party: "President Must Explain in Detail"
Opposition: "Impeachment Process Will Begin If Immediate Resignation Does Not Occur"
President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law on the night of the 3rd, and in the early hours of the 4th, martial law troops are attempting to enter the main building of the National Assembly. Photo by Kim Hyun-min
President Yoon Suk-yeol declared the lifting of the 'martial law' six hours after its proclamation on the 4th, but the aftermath is causing turmoil. The sudden declaration of martial law by President Yoon, which even the presidential office aides were unaware of, has left both ruling and opposition parties bewildered. By effectively labeling the opposition as anti-state forces and resorting to the extreme measure of declaring martial law, President Yoon now faces the possibility of a backlash that could lead to impeachment.
On the 4th, the presidential office was busy managing the aftermath of President Yoon's martial law declaration and its subsequent lifting. It is reported that they are quietly monitoring public opinion trends and brainstorming solutions for future responses. Senior aides in the presidential office have been avoiding phone calls from reporters and minimizing contact. One aide encountered at the Yongsan presidential office that day said, “There is nothing to say,” and refrained from commenting further.
President Yoon’s extreme gamble of declaring martial law appears to stem from his judgment that the ruling Democratic Party’s unilateral actions are not only paralyzing the executive branch but also causing significant harm to the public. In a statement the previous day, President Yoon pointed out, “Since our government took office, the National Assembly has proposed 22 impeachment motions against government officials, and even after the 22nd National Assembly convened in June, the 10th impeachment is underway.” He criticized, “They are intimidating judges, impeaching numerous prosecutors, paralyzing judicial functions, and attempting to paralyze the executive branch through impeachment motions against the Minister of the Interior and Safety, the Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission, the Auditor General, and the Minister of National Defense.”
Yoon: “Repeated Impeachments Paralyzing Executive Branch”
At around 4:27 a.m. on the same day, President Yoon lifted the martial law declaration but strongly criticized the opposition’s forced passage of the budget and successive impeachments. He stated, “I request the National Assembly to immediately stop these outrageous acts that paralyze the functions of the state through repeated impeachments, legislative obstruction, and budget manipulation.”
It is particularly significant that the National Assembly was scheduled to hold a plenary session on the 4th to vote on impeachment motions against Auditor General Choi Jae-hae, Seoul Central District Prosecutor Lee Chang-soo, Deputy Chief Prosecutor Cho Sang-won, and Chief Prosecutor Choi Jae-hoon of the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division 2. This suggests that the martial law declaration was a countermeasure against these moves.
Amid growing fatigue and dissatisfaction due to the Democratic Party’s repeated impeachment attempts against the Auditor General and prosecutors, the unilateral passage of a budget reduction bill also appears to have triggered the situation further. The presidential office expressed deep regret over the Democratic Party’s unprecedented forced passage of a ‘reduced budget bill’ at the National Assembly’s Budget and Accounts Special Committee on the 29th of last month. On the 1st, the presidential office strongly criticized the Democratic Party, saying, “This is legislative recklessness followed by budget recklessness, a tyranny that ignores the livelihood of the people, and the resulting damage will fall squarely on the public.”
The day before, Auditor General Choi announced that since Auditor Committee Member Cho Eun-seok, who would act as the interim Auditor General upon impeachment, is retiring on January 17 next year, he had recommended the appointment of Prosecutor Baek Jae-myung from the Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office on the 3rd as his successor. Auditor General Choi had recommended Baek’s appointment to President Yoon the previous day, and the appointment was approved effective January 18 next year. The Democratic Party planned to vote on the impeachment motion against Auditor General Choi at the National Assembly plenary session that day. The sudden appointment of the new committee member a day before the vote is analyzed as an attempt to block the effort to recommend a successor after Cho’s retirement as acting Auditor General. This indicates the presidential office’s deep concern over the aftermath of the Auditor General’s impeachment.
President Yoon Suk-yeol announced in an emergency address at 4:30 a.m. on the 4th that the martial law declared last night will be lifted in response to the National Assembly's request. The photo shows President Yoon's emergency address being broadcast on the TV in the Seoul Station waiting area. Photo by Jo Yong-jun
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo chaired a Cabinet meeting at 4:30 a.m. that day and approved the 'martial law lifting proposal' requested by the National Assembly. President Yoon explained, “I immediately convened the Cabinet meeting, but since it was early morning, the quorum was not met yet, so I will lift the martial law as soon as the quorum is reached.” The delay was due to waiting for Cabinet members to be present to meet the quorum for the vote.
The Urgent Six Hours, Resolving Public Suspicion Remains a Challenge
Although six tense hours passed from the declaration to the lifting of martial law, public suspicion remains unresolved. While it is clear that the government is facing difficulties in state administration due to the opposition-majority National Assembly, there is no public consensus that the situation warranted the declaration of martial law, leaving President Yoon with a significant challenge.
People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon urged, “President Yoon must personally provide a detailed explanation of this disastrous situation and hold all responsible parties accountable, including immediately dismissing Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who proposed the martial law.”
The opposition is also intensifying its offensive. The Democratic Party announced that if President Yoon does not voluntarily resign, they will push for impeachment. After holding an emergency party meeting at the National Assembly that day, the Democratic Party declared in a resolution, “President Yoon’s declaration of martial law is a clear violation of the Constitution,” and “If President Yoon does not immediately step down, we will promptly initiate impeachment proceedings in accordance with the will of the people.”
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