Anti-Korean Sentiment Growing Here... When Martial Law Broke Out, "We Won't Accept Korean Money"

Refusal to Exchange Korean Won at Thai Currency Exchange
"Won Not Accepted Due to Political Issues"

"Temporarily not accepting Korean won due to political issues in Korea"

After President Yoon Suk-yeol's sudden declaration of martial law, posts appeared verifying that some currency exchange booths in Thailand refused to exchange Korean won. On the 5th, an online community, FM Korea, posted an article titled "Refused Korean money at a currency exchange in Thailand." A netizen, Mr. A, who posted the article, verified a photo of a notice displayed inside a local Thai currency exchange booth and wrote, "I think this is a clear example of how other countries perceive the martial law."

A local currency exchange office in Thailand has a sign that reads, "Korean won will not be accepted temporarily." FM Korea

The notice stated in English, "We are temporarily not accepting Korean won due to political issues in Korea." The date "December, 5" was written at the top of the notice. Mr. A explained, "However, not all currency exchange booths locally are like this," and added, "If anyone is planning to travel to Thailand, currency exchange works well at other booths, so there is no need to worry too much."

As Korea implemented the Thailand Electronic Travel Authorization system (K-ETA), anti-Korean sentiment has increased in Thailand. 'K-ETA' is a system that determines travel authorization in advance by receiving information before departure for nationals of countries eligible for visa-free entry, covering 112 countries including Thailand.

Netizens who saw the post reacted with comments such as "This is unsettling. Should I exchange all my won now?" "You never know what might happen next. Everyone around me is buying Bitcoin," "Is this going to turn into worthless paper?" "Major countries are already warning that travel is dangerous," "What is happening overnight?" "I didn't expect the six-hour aftershock to be this big," "The political sphere needs to come up with measures," "The country's image is in the gutter," and "Don't carry Korean money."

Earlier, on the night of the 3rd, President Yoon Suk-yeol announced an emergency statement at the Presidential Office in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, saying, "To protect the free Republic of Korea from the threat of North Korean communist forces and to eradicate the shameless pro-North anti-state forces who plunder the freedom and happiness of our people at once, and to uphold the free constitutional order, I hereby declare martial law." This is the first martial law declaration in 45 years since 1979.

Subsequently, at 1 a.m. on the 4th, a motion to lift the martial law was submitted to the plenary session and was unanimously passed with the attendance of 190 members of the National Assembly. President Yoon chaired a Cabinet meeting in the early morning of the 4th and approved the motion to lift martial law requested by the National Assembly, lifting martial law within six hours. After the lifting of martial law, the Democratic Party of Korea, the Party for National Innovation, the Reform Party, the Progressive Party, the Basic Income Party, and the Social Democratic Party filed an impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk-yeol. The impeachment motion was reported to the National Assembly plenary session in the early morning of the 5th. Once the impeachment motion is reported to the plenary session, a vote must be held within 72 hours after 24 hours have passed.