South Korean president declares martial law in move against opposition party

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on Tuesday, accusing the opposition of “anti-state” activity.

In an unannounced address broadcast live late at night on YTN, Yoon said he had no choice but to take drastic measures to protect South Korean freedoms and the constitutional order. He asserted opposition parties have taken the parliamentary process hostage and thrown the country into crisis.

“I declare martial law to protect the free Republic of Korea from the threat of North Korean communist forces, to eradicate the despicable pro-North Korean anti-state forces that are plundering the freedom and happiness of our people, and to protect the free constitutional order,” Yoon said.

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He did not say in the address what specific measures would be taken. Yonha news agency reported that the entrance to the parliament building was being blocked, according to Reuters.

“Tanks, armored personnel carriers, and soldiers with guns and knives will rule the country,” opposition leader Lee Jae-myung said in a livestream online. “The economy of the Republic of Korea will collapse irretrievably. My fellow citizens, please come to the National Assembly.”

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People watch a TV screen showing South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s televised briefing at a bus terminal in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

The liberal Democratic Party has controlled South Korea’s single-chamber National Assembly since Yoon, a former top prosecutor, took office in 2022. Those in the opposition have repeatedly thwarted Yoon’s agenda and the president has had low approval ratings.

In his address, Yoon cited actions by the Democratic Party as justification for martial law, including an effort this week to impeach some of the country’s top prosecutors and the national assembly’s rejection of Yoon’s proposed budget. 

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South Korean opposition leader Lee Jae-myung (C) arrives outside the Seoul Central District Court in Seoul on November 15, 2024.  (ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP via Getty Images)

Democratic lawmakers had moved to slash more than 4 trillion won from the Yoon administration’s budget proposal. Yoon said the budget cuts would undermine the essential functioning of government administration. 

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Yoon was handed a blistering political defeat earlier this year when South Korean voters expanded the Democratic Party’s majority in the assembly. One South Korean political analyst told the Associated Press the election results rendered Yoon “a dead duck,” with even control over his own party at risk following the losses. 

The South Korean president has also been beset by scandal involving his wife, first lady Kim Keon Hee. She was allegedly involved in a stock price manipulation scheme and the release of spy camera footage showed her accepting a luxury bag from a Korean American pastor, the AP reported.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.

Reuters contributed to this report.