South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law late on Tuesday, vowing to eliminate “anti-state” forces as he struggles against an opposition that controls the country’s parliament and that he accuses of sympathising with communist North Korea.
Hours later, parliament voted to lift the declaration, with National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik declaring that the martial law was “invalid” and that lawmakers “will protect democracy with the people”.
Military officials in South Korea have said martial law will remain in effect until it is lifted by President Yoon Suk Yeol, despite the country's parliament overwhelming vote to block it.
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Lawmakers earlier on Tuesday passed a resolution to revoke the martial law declaration, with all 190 of them that were present voting in favor.
ReplyDeleteSouth Korea's parliament, with 190 of its 300 members present, voted down the measure. President Yoon's declaration of martial law was ruled invalid.
DeleteSouth Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s refusal to comply with a resolution by the country’s National Assembly on lifting martial law will be deemed a crime, chairman of the opposition Rebuilding Korea Party Cho Kuk said.
ReplyDeleteSouth Korean National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik sent an official notice to the Defense Ministry and the South Korean leader on the need to lift martial law introduced by the head of state earlier, the YTN TV channel reported.
ReplyDeleteMartial law is temporary rule by military authorities in a time of emergency, when civil authorities are deemed unable to function.
ReplyDeleteThe last time it was declared in South Korea was in 1979, when the country's then long-term military dictator Park Chung-hee was assassinated during a coup.
It has never been invoked since the country became a parliamentary democracy in 1987.
But on Tuesday, Yoon pulled that trigger, saying in a national address he was trying to save South Korea from "anti-state forces".
La loi martiale n'avait plus été instaurée en Corée du Sud depuis le processus de démocratisation enclenché à la fin des années 1980, y compris à des périodes de vives tensions, comme en 2016, lorsque des millions de manifestants ont obtenu la destitution de la présidente Park Geun-Hye, sur fonds de scandale de corruption.
ReplyDeleteElle avait été décrétée pour la dernière fois le 17 mai 1980, lors du coup d'Etat militaire du général Chun Doo-hwan.
ReplyDeleteLes Etats-Unis ont déclaré mardi espérer que le vote de l'Assemblée nationale sud-coréenne décidant de la suspension de la loi martiale proclamée plus tôt par le président Yoon Suk Yeol sera "respecté".
"C'est notre espoir et notre attente que les lois et normes d'un pays en particulier seront respectées. Cela inclut le vote à l'Assemblée nationale" de Corée du Sud, a déclaré lors d'un point-presse Vedant Patel, porte-parole adjoint du département d'Etat américain.
Washington voiced "grave concern" about the situation and called for it to be resolved "peacefully and in accordance with the law", while Britain said it was "closely monitoring".
ReplyDeleteChina, a key ally of nuclear-armed North Korea, urged its citizens to exercise caution, while Russia -- itself increasingly close to Pyongyang -- called the situation "alarming".
The US authorities will not increase the combat readiness of their military units due to the introduction of martial law in South Korea. This was stated by Deputy Spokesperson of the US State Department Vedant Patel.
ReplyDeleteThe Kremlin commented on the events in South Korea. Press Secretary of the Russian President Dmitry Peskov called the situation alarming. Interfax reports this.
ReplyDeleteThe President of the Republic of Korea will lift martial law, Yonhap news agency reports.
ReplyDeleteLe président de la Corée du Sud Yoon Suk Yeol a déclaré mardi que la loi martiale décrétée quelques heures auparavant allait être levée et que les troupes déployées dans Séoul allaient se retirer, après un vote de de l'assemblée dominée par l'opposition.
Delete"Il y a eu une demande de l'Assemblée nationale pour lever l'état d'urgence, et nous avons procédé au retrait des militaires qui avaient été déployés pour les opérations de loi martiale", a déclaré le président à la télévision. "Nous allons accéder à la requête de l'Assemblée nationale et lever la loi martiale lors d'une réunion du gouvernement", a-t-il ajouté.