South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on December 3 declared martial law, accusing the opposition Democratic Party of threatening the “free constitutional order.” The embattled leader said in a statement. “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… ”
Yoon’s political opponents have been frustrating him at every turn since he took office in 2022. Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung in a livestreamed statement responded to the president’s move by saying, “Tanks, armored personnel carriers, and soldiers with guns and knives will rule the country. The economy of the Republic of Korea will collapse irretrievably. My fellow citizens, please come to the National Assembly.”
