SEOUL: The government of the Republic of Korea has upheld President Yoon Suk Yeol’s proposal to lift martial law in the country, the Yonhap...
SEOUL: The government of the Republic of Korea has upheld President Yoon Suk Yeol’s proposal to lift martial law in the country, the Yonhap news agency reported.
The country’s parliament voted on Tuesday to cancel the martial law, imposed by the president earlier in the day for the first time in 45 years. In all, the martial law remained in force for just about six hours.
In a televised address, the president pledged to support the corresponding ruling of the parliament.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday declared "emergency martial law." The president said he had imposed martial law because the opposition, which holds a majority in parliament, paralyzes the work of the executive branch of power by attempting to impeach its executives, including key figures in the government. According to the president, he introduced the measure to combat "pro-North Korean elements" and protect constitutional order. He also cited the opposition’s refusal to accept the cabinet’s budget proposal.
A number of governmental agencies summoned their personnel for emergency meetings. Democratic Party Chairman Lee Jae-myung, the country’s leading opposition politician, called the president’s decision unconstitutional. The party summoned its lawmakers to the parliament, currently cordoned off by the police. Later, Parliament Speaker Woo Won-shik overturned the president’s decision to impose martial law, declaring it invalid and illegal.
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