Martial Law Lifted After 6 Hours... Nationwide Schools Confirmed to Operate Under 'Normal Operation System' (Comprehensive)

Cases of School Closures Due to Past Emergency Martial Law
Ministry of Education: "All Academic Schedules Operating Normally"
Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education Also Announces 'Normal Operation'

President Yoon Suk-yeol lifted the martial law six hours after declaring it, on the morning of the 4th, confirming that schools nationwide will operate normally.

After President Yoon declared emergency martial law at 11 p.m. the previous day, inquiries flooded online communities regarding whether students would attend school. When martial law is declared, temporary school closures are possible to ensure student safety. The martial law command's proclamation (No. 1), issued immediately after the declaration, stated, "Measures will be taken to minimize inconvenience to the general public in their daily lives."

In the past, martial law has led to school closures nationwide. After the October 26 Incident in 1979, schools across the country were closed, and on May 17, 1980, when martial law was declared, schools in the Gwangju area and universities nationwide were ordered to close.

Unrelated to the article content. Photo by Heo Young-han.

However, following the martial law declaration overnight, the Ministry of Education and local education offices appeared confused and unable to establish detailed measures. Accordingly, at around 12:53 a.m., the Ministry of Education issued a statement to the press corps, saying, "All operations and academic schedules will proceed as normal," and "We will provide separate guidance if there are any changes in the situation."

The Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education also held an emergency meeting overnight at around 4:30 a.m. and conveyed to each school the message to "operate academic schedules normally and ensure school stability."

At 4:30 a.m., President Yoon announced the lifting of martial law through an emergency address, confirming that schools nationwide will operate normally.