South Korea was thrown into turmoil on Tuesday night when President Yoon Suk Yeol shocked the nation by declaring martial law — a measure not seen in the country for nearly 50 years. The announcement, delivered in an unexpected late-night broadcast, cited “anti-state forces” and North Korean threats. However, it soon became evident that the drastic move was less about external dangers and more about Yoon’s deepening political struggles.
As per the Leaders Asia sources, the decision sparked outrage, with thousands of citizens gathering at the National Assembly in protest. Opposition lawmakers hurried to parliament, determined to block the declaration. Within hours, they succeeded. Faced with a resounding rejection, Yoon reappeared to accept the emergency vote and revoke martial law.
This stunning turn of events leaves the embattled president on precarious ground. Impeachment proceedings are reportedly underway, and he risks expulsion from his own conservative People’s Power Party.
What Happened?
Yoon’s Tuesday night address painted a picture of a leader under siege. He accused the opposition of trying to undermine his government and justified his declaration as a move to “crush anti-state forces wreaking havoc.” The decree temporarily placed the military in control, deploying armed troops to key locations, including the National Assembly, where dramatic scenes unfolded — helicopters landed on rooftops, and troops stormed the building, met by staff armed only with fire extinguishers.
According to the Leaders Asia sources, at 11:00 PM local time (14:00 GMT), the military issued sweeping orders: banning protests, restricting political activity, and placing media under government control. Yet the response was immediate. Opposition leaders condemned the declaration as unconstitutional, with Yoon’s own party leader calling it a “wrong move.” Liberal opposition leader Lee Jae-myung rallied lawmakers and citizens to converge on parliament, warning of a return to dictatorship.
By midnight, thousands of protesters had gathered outside parliament, chanting against martial law, while lawmakers bypassed barricades to convene inside. At 1:00 AM Wednesday, parliament voted overwhelmingly — 190 out of 300 members — to strike down Yoon’s martial law declaration.
A Rare and Risky Move
Martial law, which grants the military extraordinary powers and suspends civil rights, has a dark history in South Korea. It was last declared in 1979 following the assassination of dictator Park Chung-hee and has not been invoked since the country became a democracy in 1987.
Yoon’s decision to pull the trigger on martial law was seen as both a legal overreach and a political misstep. Critics argue it was a desperate bid to distract from his mounting scandals, including corruption allegations involving the First Lady and rising calls for impeachment. His approval ratings, already at a dismal 17%, have plummeted further.
What’s Next?
With the martial law order nullified, attention turns to Yoon’s political survival. Lawmakers are reportedly preparing impeachment proceedings. If two-thirds of the National Assembly votes to impeach, Yoon’s case will go to the Constitutional Court. A decision by six of its nine judges to uphold impeachment would remove him from office.
South Korea has faced presidential impeachments before. In 2016, Park Geun-hye was removed from office over corruption charges, and in 2004, Roh Moo-hyun faced temporary suspension before being reinstated. However, Yoon’s crisis is seen as a severe test of South Korea’s democratic resilience.
Observers warn that Yoon’s actions may have inflicted lasting damage on South Korea’s reputation as a stable democracy. “This is one of the most significant challenges to South Korean democracy in decades,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a political expert at Ewha University. “Yoon’s declaration of martial law was a political gamble that has backfired spectacularly, deepening his isolation and emboldening his critics.”
The road ahead is uncertain for Yoon, but one thing is clear: South Korea’s democracy has once again been tested, and for now, it has held firm.
