South Korea Declares Martial Law—and Reverses It Within Hours

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared an emergency martial law on December 3 for the first time in nearly 50 years. He said it was aimed at thwarting “anti-state forces” among the opposition Democratic Party, which he accused of aligning with Communist North Korea.

Reversed: Within hours of the announcement, outraged members of South Korea’s parliament raced to the National Assembly building and voted 190-0 to demand Yoon revoke the order. Thousands of protesters gathered outside, where they clashed with police and military.

A few hours later, Yoon accepted the National Assembly’s vote and lifted the law.

Political crisis: The decree of martial law would ban all political activity, restrict the media, and allow arrests without a warrant. It is usually only invoked during a major crisis, giving full authority to military commanders rather than regular civilian rule.

Yoon likely invoked the law to keep himself from being impeached:

• Twenty-two impeachment motions against government officials have been made since his inauguration.
• The opposition party last month impeached prosecutors who refused to charge Yoon’s wife over allegations of investment fraud and accepting inappropriate gifts.
• The opposition holds a majority in parliament, leaving the unpopular president unable to pass several critical pieces of legislation in recent months.

North Korea: In recent months, North Korea has intensified its military activities and threatened South Korea and its allies. By framing the opposition as sympathizers of North Korea, Yoon tried to argue that martial law was necessary to protect the nation against them.

Failing democracy: The president’s move was seen as a threat to democracy. It reminded many in South Korea of an era of authoritarian leaders the country has not seen since the 1980s. It is also a sign of larger global trends: the increasing instability in democracies across the world and the rise in geopolitical tensions.

To learn about the only true solution to this problem, read “Democracy is Dying.”