South Korean President Jun Suk-jeol declared a state of emergency yesterday, in a move that stunned South Koreans and prompted the military to enter parliament, as lawmakers and protesters quickly voiced opposition to the country's most serious challenge to democracy since the 1980s.
The speaker of the parliament canceled the declaration of a state of emergency, and the deputies voted to reject it, Reuters reported.
Jun's move, which he said was aimed at his political opponents, was strongly opposed even by the leader of his People's Power Party, Han Dong-hun, who was present at the vote in parliament and has clashed with Jun over the way he handled recent scandals. The People's Power Party called on Jun to lift the state of emergency.
Under South Korean law, the president must comply with a parliamentary vote to block martial law, but no time frame has been specified. The Ministry of Defense said it will continue to maintain the state of emergency until the president issues a different order, Korean media reported.
Opposition leader Lee Jae-myong, who narrowly lost to Jun in the 2022 presidential election, called the declaration of a state of emergency “illegal and unconstitutional. "This is basically a coup", stated in the announcement of the opposition Democratic Party.
Earlier yesterday, television showed footage of helmeted soldiers, apparently tasked with imposing a state of emergency, trying to enter the parliament building, while parliamentary aides tried to repel them using fire extinguishers.
Earlier yesterday, Jun said that the opposition parties had captured the parliamentary process. He vowed to root out "shameful pro-North Korean anti-state forces" and said he had no choice but to impose martial law to preserve constitutional order.
"I will eliminate the anti-state forces as quickly as possible and normalize the country," he said, asking the people to trust him and endure "some inconvenience."
According to the Constitution of South Korea, the president, who is also the supreme commander of the armed forces, can declare a state of emergency "in times of war, armed conflict or similar national emergency."
Moments after Jun made the statement live on television, people began to gather in front of the parliament building, with some shouting, "Cancel the state of emergency!" "Arrest Jun Suk Jeol!" shouted others.
Demonstrator Im Jin So, 66, said he asked his children to stay home out of concern for their safety, but came to protest outside parliament after seeing the news.
“I'm so angry, I'm totally confused,” he said. "I came to protect democracy. During the dictatorships we couldn't stand up, but now we can."
The army announced that the activities of the parliament and political parties, which could cause "social confusion", will be prohibited, as well as that the media and publishers will be under the control of the state of emergency command.
Jun did not cite any specific threat from nuclear-armed North Korea, instead focusing on his domestic political opponents. This is the first time since 1980 that a state of emergency has been declared in South Korea.
South Korea had a series of authoritarian leaders in its early history, but has been considered a democracy since the 1980s.
Jun's predecessor, Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party, announced on the X network (formerly Twitter) that the country's democracy was in crisis. "I hope the National Assembly will act quickly to protect our democracy from collapse," he wrote in the post.
"I am asking people to come together to protect and save democracy and help the National Assembly to function normally."
The United States was not informed in advance about the declaration of a state of emergency in South Korea, the spokesman of the White House said, adding that the US is in contact with the South Korean government and is closely monitoring the situation.
Kurt Campbell, US Deputy Secretary of State, said that the US is "gravely concerned" about the events in South Korea. He added that the US alliance with this Asian country is "solid".
About 28.500 US troops are stationed in South Korea to protect it from the threat posed by North Korea.
Jun, whose popularity has fallen significantly in recent months, faces difficulties in trying to push his agenda through the parliament, which is controlled by the opposition Democratic Party.
June's party is in a deadlock with the liberal opposition regarding the budget law for next year. The opposition has also been trying to push through a proposal to remove three top prosecutors, including the head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, in what conservatives have called retaliation for their criminal investigations against Lee, who is seen in polls as the favorite for the next presidential election in 2027.
Jun has also rejected calls for independent investigations into scandals involving his wife and senior officials, drawing sharp condemnation from his political rivals.
June's move is the first declaration of a state of emergency since the country's democratization in 1987. The last state of emergency in the country was in October 1979.
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