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?

 

[Maxman1]

Some interesting developments.

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

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/south-korea-martial-law-1.7399501

 

[tomydoom]

Some interesting developments.

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

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/south-korea-martial-law-1.7399501

Parliament has now initiated impeachment proceedings. I don't imagine he will last much longer in office after pulling that stunt.

 

[Maxman1]

What was he even trying to accomplish? Some speculation suggests attempts at rooting out North Korean sympathizers.

 

[brihard]

What was he even trying to accomplish? Some speculation suggests attempts at rooting out North Korean sympathizers.

All in on a pair of 6s?

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

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

You should look up the political history of the ROK and the actions of its former Presidents.

It's not exactly beacon of democracy. They were a Military Dictatorship until the 1980s and since then most of their Presidents end up either Impeached, in Jail or embroiled in some sort of scandal.

Gwangju Uprising - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

An event similar to Tianamen Square is what actually ended Military Control in South Korea.

https://www.business-standard.com/world-news/south-korea-s-presidential-history-martial-law-coups-and-corruption-124120400352_1.html

This is actually the norm in that Country, yet they've somehow tricked us in to believing they are a peaceable people who like K-Pop, Etc.

 

[brihard]

You should look up the political history of the ROK and the actions of its former Presidents.

It's not exactly beacon of democracy. They were a Military Dictatorship until the 1980s and since then most of their Presidents end up either Impeached, in Jail or embroiled in some sort of scandal.

Gwangju Uprising - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

An event similar to Tianamen Square is what actually ended Military Control in South Korea.

https://www.business-standard.com/world-news/south-korea-s-presidential-history-martial-law-coups-and-corruption-124120400352_1.html

This is actually the norm in that Country, yet they've somehow tricked us in to believing they are a peaceable people who like K-Pop, Etc.

Yep, I’m aware they’re a young democracy and emerged and began modernizing out of the dregs of poverty. They’ve certainly democratized considerably in the past 40 years, and their people and parliamentarians seem willing and motivated to show up to sustain that. I’d say they’ve been doing well all things considered. Clearly work remains to be done… But they seem to be putting it in. Rule of law and the will of elected Parliament prevailed last night over a military utterly capable of retaining control under a flimsy presidential authority.