On June 25, 2024, South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol delivered a speech at a ceremony in Daegu to commemorate the 74th anniversary of the outbreak of the 1950-1953 Korean War.
Ahn Young-joon | AFP | Getty Images
South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol declared “emergency martial law” on Tuesday, accusing the country’s opposition of controlling parliament, sympathizing with North Korea and paralyzing the government through anti-national activities.
Yoon announced the news at a televised press conference and vowed to “eliminate pro-North Korean forces and protect the constitutional democratic order.” It is unclear how these measures will affect the country’s governance and democracy.
Yoon Eun-hye, whose approval ratings have declined in recent months, has struggled to push his agenda against the opposition-controlled parliament since taking office in 2022.
Yoon’s conservative People’s Power Party and the liberal opposition Democratic Party are deadlocked over next year’s budget bill. He has also consistently resisted an independent investigation into the scandal involving his wife and senior officials, drawing swift and fierce condemnation from his political opponents.
According to reports, after Yoon Eun-hye announced the news, the Democratic Party held an emergency meeting of members.
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