
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in the country late Tuesday local time, the first such declaration since the country democratized in the 1980s. The opposition-held National Assembly quickly voted to overturn the declaration, and the president formally lifted the order early Wednesday local time. The opposition party is now urging Yoon to resign or face impeachment.
Yoon's announcement implemented temporary military rule, banning political activities and labor actions while placing media under government control. Violators were subject to arrest without a warrant. Thousands gathered around the National Assembly to protest through the night and were met by military police, though no violence was reported.
South Korea is the world's 14th-largest economy and a major US ally in Asia. Its conservative president, elected in May 2022, based his decree on the alleged presence of antistate, pro-North Korean influences within the country. Yoon's decision comes as the opposition liberal coalition, which widened its control of the legislature in elections this year, has sought to reduce his budgets and impeach several cabinet members in recent days.
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