Republic of Korea’s (ROK) President Yoon Suk Yeol declared a state of emergency in a late-night television announcement on Tuesday, accusing the country’s opposition Democratic party of sympathizing with North Korea.
Yeol’s decision halted all parliamentary activities, barring members of parliament from entering the National Assembly building in Seoul.
“To safeguard a liberal South Korea from the threats posed by North Korea’s communist forces and to eliminate antistate elements … I hereby declare emergency martial law,” the president said.
He accused the opposition Democratic party, which has a majority in parliament, of wanting to impeach top prosecutors and reject a government budget proposal.
“This is an unavoidable measure to ensure the freedom and safety of the people and guarantee the sustainability of the nation against the unrest stirred by these subversive, antistate elements,” Yeol said.
He alleges that the ROK’s main opposition party has cut the budget essential for national operations, drug crime prevention, and public safety.
“This has left our citizens in a state of chaos with the nation becoming a haven for drugs and public safety collapsing.”