Just hours after the president of South Korea reportedly proclaimed martial law and accused opposition parties of exposing the nation to North Korean “communist forces,” the Parliament voted to repeal it.
In the early hours of Wednesday morning, the vote was 190 to 0 against martial law.
In order to vote, legislators scaled fences and confronted armed guards as they entered the National Assembly building in downtown Seoul. After being proclaimed over two hours prior, martial law was implemented at 11 p.m. local time on Tuesday.
The opposition party, which controls the National Assembly of South Korea, was accused of holding the country captive by Yoon Suk Yeol, a conservative who assumed office in 2022.
He identified the constitutional order of South Korea as being threatened by the rejection of a budget proposal and impeachment proceedings against the country’s top prosecutors.
The presidential office of Yoon did not provide an immediate response to the legislative vote that officially ended the martial order. Following the referendum, the South Korean military declared that it would maintain martial law until the president instructs it to end.
Yoon’s call for martial order was predicted to be opposed by both main parties, including his own conservative People Power Party. It was the first such declaration since 1980, when South Korea was under military rule.
The Democratic Party, the opposition party, had requested an emergency meeting at the National Assembly late Tuesday in response to Yoon’s address.
The party has the ability to request the lifting of martial law with a majority vote.
The martial-law command issued a nationwide ban on all political activities by South Korea’s unicameral, 300-seat parliament, as well as the curtailment of rallies and demonstrations.
The government would have dominion over the country’s media. In addition, it mandated that all medical personnel resume their duties within 48 hours, among other measures.
Under the law, the National Assembly has the authority to repeal martial law by a majority vote and mandates that the president adhere to the decision.
With 170 seats, the Democratic Party, the opposition, maintains majority control.
Before he was elected president of South Korea by a razor-thin margin, Yoon was a career prosecutor with no political experience.
His approval ratings have recently plummeted to their lowest point since he assumed office, falling below 20%.
Recent polling indicates that approximately two-thirds of South Koreans harbor negative opinions regarding Yoon’s capacity to govern the nation.
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