Fake News of 'Emergency Martial Law' Becomes Reality... Unresolved Questions, Why President Yoon?

Ongoing Allegations of First Lady Kim Geon-hee and Political Broker Myeong Taegyun
Impact of Growing Powerlessness Amid Opposition-Dominated National Assembly

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 room. Photo by Jo Yong-jun

The Presidential Office dismissed the 'martial law preparation suspicion' raised by the opposition party three months ago as fake news, but as it eventually materialized, a backlash is sweeping through. It has been reported that Kim Yong-hyun, Minister of National Defense and a senior by one year at Chung-Ang High School, directly proposed the declaration of martial law to President Yoon Seok-yeol, drawing attention to the background behind President Yoon's decision to pull out the extreme card of 'emergency martial law.' The past remarks of Kim Min-seok, a Supreme Council member of the Democratic Party of Korea who first raised suspicions about the current administration's 'attempt to impose martial law,' are also being recalled, fueling ongoing suspicions.

On the 4th, the Presidential Office was busy managing the aftermath of President Yoon's declaration of emergency martial law the previous day and its lifting on the same day. It is known that they are quietly monitoring public opinion trends and brainstorming solutions for future responses. Senior aides at 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 speaking as much as possible. The atmosphere clearly shows a sense of bewilderment over President Yoon's sudden declaration of emergency martial law, which even the Presidential Office aides were unaware of.

However, within the pro-Yoon faction, it is viewed that President Yoon's unexpected gamble of emergency martial law was a result of accumulated fatigue and dissatisfaction with the current state of governance, where progress is blocked amid ongoing public suspicions surrounding First Lady Kim Geon-hee and political broker Myung Tae-gyun. They see it as an extreme reaction to the National Assembly's filing of 22 impeachment motions against government officials since the administration's inception, and the push for the 10th impeachment since the 22nd National Assembly convened in June. President Yoon has previously expressed concerns that the executive branch is paralyzed due to repeated impeachment attempts by the opposition against ministers such as the Minister of the Interior and Safety, the Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission, the Auditor General, and the Minister of National Defense.

At around 4:27 a.m. that day, President Yoon lifted the emergency martial law but strongly criticized the opposition party for forcibly passing the budget and the series of impeachment motions. He stated, "I request the National Assembly to immediately stop the outrageous acts that paralyze the functions of the state through repeated impeachments, legislative obstruction, and budget manipulation."

In particular, the fact 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, Fourth Deputy Prosecutor Cho Sang-won, and Anti-Corruption Investigation Department Chief Prosecutor Choi Jae-hoon lends weight to the view that the declaration of emergency martial law was a countermeasure.

Moreover, the Democratic Party's unilateral passage of a budget reduction bill is analyzed as a 'trigger' that further escalated the situation. 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 harshly criticized the Democratic Party, saying, "This is legislative recklessness followed by budget recklessness, a tyranny that ignores people's livelihoods, and the resulting damage falls squarely on the people." Despite growing calls for expansive fiscal policies amid sluggish domestic demand and exports and worsening polarization, the acceptance of a reduced budget bill has reportedly fueled anger. The opposition's active raising of suspicions about the audit's inadequacy related to the Presidential Office and residence relocation, and their push for the Auditor General's impeachment, is also said to have added to the sense of helplessness.

A Presidential Office official said, "As the Yoon administration passes the midpoint of its term and enters the second half, it needs to increase achievements in four major reforms, including medical reform, but the current situation of a minority government blocked by the opposition has caused frustration," adding, "It appears that the emergency martial law was declared, taking risks to break the cycle of ongoing impeachments and to sound a warning against the opposition's recklessness."

However, both ruling and opposition parties are unable to hide their bewilderment over President Yoon's sudden declaration of emergency martial law, which even the Presidential Office aides were unaware of. By effectively labeling the opposition as anti-state forces and pulling out the extreme card of emergency martial law, President Yoon faces the 'worst' possibility of a backlash in the form of impeachment.

Although six intense hours passed from the declaration to the lifting of emergency martial law, public suspicions remain unresolved. While it is clear that the minority government situation is causing disruptions in state administration, a public consensus on whether this situation justifies the declaration of emergency martial law has not formed, leaving President Yoon with a significant challenge. It is reported that President Yoon postponed scheduled events that day and began working with his aides on measures to manage the situation. A Presidential Office official said, "President Yoon postponed the 'Narcotics Response Situation Review Meeting' originally scheduled for 10 a.m. at the Yongsan Presidential Office that day."