Military Martial Law Situation Draws Attention from China... "Outdated Actions"

Live Media Broadcast, Top Rankings in Real-Time SNS Search Keywords

Major Chinese media outlets are showing great interest by reporting in real-time on President Yoon Suk-yeol's declaration and lifting of martial law.

On the 4th, Xinhua News Agency published an article titled "Winter in Seoul: Yoon Suk-yeol's 6-Hour Martial Law Farce," stating, "What is happening now has the same plot as the movie 'Spring in Seoul,'" and noted, "It has been over 40 years since South Korea last declared martial law, and in a few days, it will be the 45th anniversary of the notorious December 12 military coup." The movie 'Spring in Seoul,' released last year, depicts the events surrounding the December 12, 1979 coup.

In addition, Chinese state media such as China Central Television (CCTV), the English-language newspaper Global Times, and Huanqiu Shibao urgently reported the martial law declaration in South Korea the previous day and subsequently broadcast live coverage of the situation in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. The live broadcast videos ranked high in real-time search terms on Baidu (百度), China’s largest portal site, and social networking services (SNS).

In the early morning of the 4th, when the National Assembly passed a resolution demanding the lifting of martial law, citizens in front of the National Assembly clashed with police controlling access to the National Assembly. Photo by Yonhap News

Hu Xijin (胡錫進), a pro-government commentator and former editor-in-chief of Huanqiu Shibao, expressed via SNS that "Martial law, which comprehensively controls the National Assembly, local council party activities, political gatherings, protests, the press, and publishing, is unacceptable in the current atmosphere of Korean society," and added, "President Yoon's gamble has already led to irreversible consequences."

He further criticized, "President Yoon is known for his strong pro-American stance, showing a subordinate posture in diplomatic strategy with the United States, attempting to forcibly improve relations with Japan, and rapidly deteriorating relations with China."

On the same day, Hong Kong’s daily South China Morning Post (SCMP) published an article titled "Martial Law Mistake Puts South Korean President at Risk of Impeachment: Political Suicide," reporting political experts’ views on the situation in South Korea.

Professor Kang Won-taek of Seoul National University’s Department of Political Science criticized, "The reckless and unpopular president has effectively committed political suicide," and said, "Few Koreans will understand such sudden and outdated actions." Jenny Town, senior researcher at the U.S. think tank Stimson Center, told SCMP, "It is disappointing that the U.S. government has not condemned this incident as a threat to South Korean democracy."

The Chinese Embassy in South Korea also issued a notice urging Chinese nationals residing in Korea to exercise caution. After the martial law declaration, the embassy stated, "Maintain calm, closely monitor changes in South Korea’s situation, strengthen safety awareness, refrain from unnecessary outings, be cautious in expressing political opinions, and comply with official announcements." Even after the martial law was lifted, the embassy urged, "Although daily life can now resume, please do not lower your guard."