Broadcasted live nationwide for 155 minutes, watched by the entire nation... Martial Law, a Foreseen Failure

From Martial Law Declaration to Approval of Martial Law Lift Request
155 Minutes of the Entire Process Shared with the Entire Nation
Experts Say "Real-Time Sharing Played a Role in Early Resolution of the Situation"

The entire 155-minute process from President Yoon Suk-yeol's declaration of martial law to the National Assembly's approval of the demand to lift the martial law was virtually shared in real-time with the entire nation, mainly through social media.
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The entire 155-minute process from President Yoon Suk-yeol's declaration of martial law to the National Assembly's passage of a resolution demanding its lifting was virtually shared in real-time with the entire nation, primarily through social networking services (SNS). This led to interpretations such as, "In the past, martial law was easier to control through the media, but this time, because the whole nation was watching, the situation was quickly resolved."

Immediately after the declaration of martial law, citizens gathered in front of the National Assembly holding their mobile phones. Subsequently, scenes such as the control of entry to the National Assembly, military helicopters flying toward the Assembly, and fully armed martial law troops entering the Assembly spread online in photos and videos within moments. The internal situation of the National Assembly, which is usually difficult for the public to access, was also broadcast live without filters through politicians' YouTube channels. The YouTube live broadcast of Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, who 'stormed' into the National Assembly, was watched by 2.38 million viewers at the time. The personal YouTube channel of Woo Won-shik, the Speaker of the National Assembly presiding over the plenary session, also exceeded 600,000 viewers.

The entire 155-minute process from President Yoon Suk-yeol's declaration of martial law to the National Assembly's approval of the demand to lift the martial law was virtually shared in real time with the entire nation, primarily through social media.
X (formerly Twitter)

One netizen even posted a video showing three helicopters moving over the National Assembly. This was about an hour after President Yoon declared martial law. Another netizen shared that they heard helicopter sounds from Gwanak-gu, about 5 km away from the National Assembly. Additionally, numerous eyewitness accounts emerged reporting hearing and spotting helicopters in various parts of downtown Seoul, including Seocho-gu, Dongjak-gu, and Yongsan, and even multiple helicopters were spotted in Yongin and the Dongpangyo area in Gyeonggi Province.

Some analysts suggested that because the public closely observed the 'martial law commotion' overnight, unlike in the past, the lifting of martial law was carried out without major clashes. Professor Kim Baek-young of the Department of Sociology at Seoul National University said in an interview with Yonhap News on the 4th, "Since the last martial law was 45 years ago, when real-time sharing of all situations was not possible, media control was likely easier. Although it is questionable whether this martial law was carried out with sufficient preparation, the fact that the situation was quickly resolved may also be thanks to the entire nation watching."

The entire 155-minute process from President Yoon Suk-yeol's declaration of martial law to the National Assembly's approval of the demand to lift the martial law was virtually shared in real time with the entire nation, mainly through social media.
X (formerly Twitter)