The South Korean president, Yoon Suk Yeolproclaimed martial law, accusing the opposition of conducting anti-state activities and fundamentally in support of North Korea. “We will eliminate the anti-state forces and restore normalcy in the country as quickly as possible,” he said.
According to what appears to Panorama.itpublic events and concerts have already been canceled across the country. The President of the National Assembly, Woo Won-shikhe intended to call an emergency parliamentary session. However, according to reports from CNNaccess to parliament is currently reportedly blocked by the military.
While waiting to know more details, this crisis comes amidst a climate of growing polarization within South Korean politics. In particular, the president belongs to the People’s Power Party, a conservative party, while the National Assembly is currently in the hands of the Democratic Party of Korea, which is progressive in orientation.
In recent days, there have been tensions on the budget, while a few weeks ago Yoon Suk Yeol he had to publicly apologize for some controversial behavior of his wife, Kim Keon Hee (there was talk of alleged market manipulation).
In the background, the tense situation with North Korea remains. Pyongyang troops were recently deployed to Ukraine in support of Russian forces. In October, North Korea also accused Seoul of sending drones to Pyongyang. On the other hand, the South Korean military said it was “fully ready” to respond when it was reported that the North planned to blow up the roads connecting the two countries.
