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

Jamaine Punzalan

ABS-CBN News

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:900px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/173327969084020241203171212_3276a518f92d4a21ddfd3e53a80750f7d262273c810a7d67809d9bafd477d69b.jpg" style="width:900px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><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><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — The situation in South Korea has returned to normal on Wednesday after President Yoon Suk Yeol&#x27;s decision to lift martial law just hours after he imposed it, a Filipino ambassador said. </p><p>“Ngayon naman po, tuloy-tuloy ang mga pang-araw-araw na nangyayari dito. Back to normal po,” said Philippine Ambassador to Korea Maria Theresa Dizon-De Vega. </p><p>“Kami po sa embahada, regular operations kami at ganoon na rin po sa mga ibang embahada. Pati po mga eskwelahan, bukas din po ngayong araw na ito,” she told TeleRadyo Serbisyo. </p><p>Yoon abandoned his short-lived attempt at martial law on Wednesday after lawmakers defied security forces to vote against his declaration and thousands of protesters took to the streets.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2024/12/3/disbelief-outrage-at-south-korea-s-short-lived-martial-law-0730">Disbelief, outrage at South Korea&#x27;s short-lived martial law</a></div><p>“Yung military troops po na nasa National Assembly po kagabi ay umalis din agad-agaran pagtapos po ng pagboto ng National Assembly. Back to normal po dito,” De Vega said. </p><p>She noted that South Korea is host to some 68,000 Filipinos, some of whom called the embassy with travel concerns after Yoon’s shock announcement. </p><p>“Karamihan po ng mga katanungan at mga concern [ng mga Pilipino dito] ay yung pagbiyahe po papalabas ng South Korea, papunta sa iba’t ibang destinasyon o yung mga inaasahan po nilang mga kaibigan po nila, mga miyembro ng pamilya, kakilala na papunta naman po sa South Korea,” she said. </p><p>“Sa ngayon po, ang travel ay unimpeded, kumbaga dire-diretso lang ang pagpasok po, pagdaloy ng mga duti tao sa Korea,” the ambassador added.</p><p>Addressing Filipino visitors in South Korea, she said, “Mag-ingat lang po. Palagi po naming sinasabi, umiwas po sa kung ano mang mga assembly o mga iba’t ibang protesta po. Just go about your regular business.” </p><script data-wid="auto" type="text/javascript" src="https://content.viralize.tv/display/?zid=AAEyze-tm4MR6kEa&amp;cid=ABRRLcL7kegz3oQm&amp;activation=adfill&amp;vip_mode=no"></script><div><strong>WHAT HAPPENED </strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Yoon had given a range of reasons to justify martial law -- South Korea&#x27;s first in more than 40 years.</p><p>&quot;To safeguard a liberal South Korea from the threats posed by North Korea&#x27;s communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements plundering people&#x27;s freedom and happiness, I hereby declare emergency martial law,&quot; Yoon said in a televised address.</p><p>Yoon did not give details of the North&#x27;s threats, but the South remains technically at war with nuclear-armed Pyongyang.</p><p>&quot;Our National Assembly has become a haven for criminals, a den of legislative dictatorship that seeks to paralyse the judicial and administrative systems and overturn our liberal democratic order,&quot; Yoon said.</p><p>The president labelled the main opposition Democratic Party, which holds a majority in the 300-member parliament, &quot;anti-state forces intent on overthrowing the regime&quot;.</p><p>Yoon and his People Power Party are also bitterly at odds with the opposition over next year&#x27;s budget.</p><p>Opposition MPs last week approved a significantly downsized budget plan through a parliamentary committee.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2024/12/3/s-korea-s-president-yoon-embattled-conservative-0546">S. Korea&#x27;s President Yoon, embattled conservative</a></div><p>The imposition of emergency martial law came after Yoon&#x27;s approval rating dropped to 19 percent in the latest Gallup poll last week, with many expressing dissatisfaction over his handling of the economy and controversies involving his wife, Kim Keon Hee.</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe width="853" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LeRtSE18eEs" title="South Korean president reverses martial law decree after night of protests | ABS-CBN News" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div>

<p>The situation in South Korea has returned to normal on Wednesday after President Yoon Suk Yeol's decision to lift martial law just hours after he imposed it, a Filipino ambassador said.</p>

The situation in South Korea has returned to normal on Wednesday after President Yoon Suk Yeol's decision to lift martial law just hours after he imposed it, a Filipino ambassador said.

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South Korea ‘back to normal’ after short-lived martial law: envoy

South Korea ‘back to normal’ after short-lived martial law: envoy

Jamaine Punzalan,

ABS-CBN News,

Agence France-Presse

Published Dec 04, 2024 11:18 AM PHT

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