Daven Tamayo

South Korean military says martial law will remain until lifted by president

Soldiers try to enter the National Assembly building in Seoul on December 4 2024, after South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law. - South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol on December 3 declared martial law, accusing the opposition of being "anti-state forces" and saying he was acting to protect the country from "threats" posed by the North. (Photo by Jung Yeon-je / AFP)

Article (news)

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com/api/upload-raw/2024120318120/7b72fbf6782ab688df4735ec6a41956c8e27a4cb4631e64f4f2dfce0515c55f1.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dii" alt="Soldiers try to enter the National Assembly building in Seoul on December 4 2024, after South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law. Jung Yeon-je, AFP" style="width:960px"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Soldiers try to enter the National Assembly building in Seoul on December 4 2024, after South Korea President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law. <em>Jung Yeon-je, AFP</em> </span></span></span></div><p>South Korean military officials said martial law will remain in effect until it is lifted by President Yoon Suk Yeol, despite the parliament&#x27;s overwhelming vote on Wednesday to block it.</p><p>The martial law will &quot;remain in place until lifted by the president&quot;, Seoul&#x27;s military officials said, according to local broadcaster YTN and other local media reports.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2024/12/3/timeline-south-korea-s-yoon-suk-yeol-declares-martial-law-0120" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">TIMELINE: South Korea’s Yoon Suk Yeol declares martial law</a></div><p>Yoon on Tuesday declared martial law, accusing the opposition of being &quot;anti-state forces&quot; and saying he was acting to protect the country from &quot;threats&quot; posed by the North.</p><p>The National Assembly was later sealed and helicopters were seen landing on the roof, as army chief General Park An-su took charge as martial law commander and immediately issued a decree banning &quot;all political activities&quot;.</p><p>Troops entered the building for a short time, while hundreds of protesters gathered outside parliament chanting: &quot;arrest Yoon Suk Yeol&quot; and facing off with security forces guarding parliament.</p><p>Yoon&#x27;s stunning announcement -- South Korea&#x27;s first declaration of martial law in more than 40 years -- came as his party and the opposition bicker over the budget.</p><p>With martial law imposed, all military units in the South were ordered to strengthen their emergency alert and readiness postures, Yonhap news agency reported.</p><p>Some 190 lawmakers managed to get in to the assembly in the early hours of Wednesday, where they unanimously voted in favour of a motion to block the martial law declaration and call for its lifting.</p><p>Under the constitution, martial law must be lifted when a majority in parliament demands it, but it was not immediately clear whether this would be respected.</p><script data-wid="auto" type="text/javascript" src="https://content.viralize.tv/display/?zid=AAEyze-tm4MR6kEa&amp;cid=ABRQkPRgDJU8FqZT&amp;activation=click&amp;vip_mode=playing&amp;vip_position=bottom-right"></script>

<p>South Korean military officials said martial law will remain in effect until it is lifted by President Yoon Suk Yeol, despite the parliament's overwhelming vote on Wednesday to block it.</p>

South Korean military officials said martial law will remain in effect until it is lifted by President Yoon Suk Yeol, despite the parliament's overwhelming vote on Wednesday to block it.