South Korea Martial Law - 3 Dec 2024

[brihard]

Just catching wind of this, massive ‘WTF?’

• South Korea’s president declared martial law in recent hours over I’m not sure what
• Special forces entered Parliament (there’s video)
• Martial Law command prohibited ongoing political activities including those of the National Assembly
• Despite the above, Parliment voted minutes ago to end/override martial law

BBC as usual has good coverage of a fast and confusing event:

Protests outside South Korea's parliament after President Yoon Suk Yeol declares martial law - live updates

In a late-night move, lawmakers have since pushed their way into parliament and voted to block Yoon Suk Yeo's surprise declaration.

www.bbc.com

 

[Good2Golf]

That wasn’t on my Global Events bingo card…

But if it was a quick ‘actions on’ to a Putin/Kim Jong Un driven FAFOp, then maybe some reasoning?

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Parliament rescind the marital Law order, lot's of chaos

Chaos in South Korea as President Declares Martial Law and Parliament Rescinds It

pjmedia.com

 

[Colin Parkinson]

And the President backs down South Korea live: South Korea president backs down from martial law order after MPs vote to block it

 

[suffolkowner]

whats the Coles notes version of what the heck is going on over there?

 

[brihard]

whats the Coles notes version of what the heck is going on over there?

What I think I’ve put together:

The president is on the opposite side of the political spectrum from Parliament since the 2022 Parliamentary election and is basically a lame duck. Parliament has been denying funding to things he wanted. He declared there to be some sort of emergency arising out of malign ‘anti-state’ forces or whatever and declared martial law, attempting to ban Parliament from functioning and blocking off access to the buildings. Parliamentarians scaled walls and fences to get around soldiers. Soldiers entered parliament but a vote to cancel martial law was held anyway, and passed unanimously. The military respected this result and stood down, and the president cancelled martial law. Parliament will likely impeach the president tomorrow or soon.

So I think he tried a bit of light coup and failed. All in a single night.

 

[lenaitch]

And the rest of the country goes "wait . . . what?

 

[OldSolduer]

What I think I’ve put together:

The president is on the opposite side of the political spectrum from Parliament since the 2022 Parliamentary election and is basically a lame duck. Parliament has been denying funding to things he wanted. He declared there to be some sort of emergency arising out of malign ‘anti-state’ forces or whatever and declared martial law, attempting to ban Parliament from functioning and blocking off access to the buildings. Parliamentarians scaled walls and fences to get around soldiers. Soldiers entered parliament but a vote to cancel martial law was held anyway, and passed unanimously. The military respected this result and stood down, and the president cancelled martial law. Parliament will likely impeach the president tomorrow or soon.

So I think he tried a bit of light coup and failed. All in a single night.

Well he certainly didn't expect that I bet....

 

[daftandbarmy]

whats the Coles notes version of what the heck is going on over there?

Head of state, in political trouble, panics and selfishly tries to get out of it by calling the opposition the enemy and cracking down.

Democracy does its job and he backs down.

Nothing like anything we've ever seen happen in North America... much

South Korea martial law: What happens next?

Yoon Suk Yeol's move was spurred not by external threats but by his own desperate political troubles.

www.bbc.com

 

[JLB50]

I wonder if the political instability will have much of a bearing on Canada’s decision for new subs.

 

[PrairieFella]

I wonder if the political instability will have much of a bearing on Canada’s decision for new subs.

Can we get the instability discount?