South Korean military officials say it will maintain martial law until lifted by president
South Korean military officials have said martial law will remain in effect until lifted by President Yoon Suk Yeol, according to local broadcaster YTN, other local media reports and Agence France-Presse, despite the parliament’s vote to lift it.
Key events
Here is a video report of when South Korean soldiers were seen early on Wednesday entering the parliament building in Seoul through smashed windows.
It happened shortly after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on Tuesday night, creating the most serious challenge to South Korea’s democracy since the 1980s as lawmakers rejected the move in a vote and protesters gathered outside parliament.
The British government said it was “deeply concerned” about the events unfolding in South Korea, and called for a peaceful and lawful resolution to the situation, Reuters reports.
“Our embassy in Seoul continues to monitor developments and is in touch with the Korean authorities,” Catherine West, Britain’s minister for the Indo-Pacific, said.
She urged UK nationals in South Korea to follow her government’s travel advice.
An expert on North Korea who served in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence has been telling CNN that South Korea and its allies must watch to see if its neighbor tries to exploit the disorder in Seoul.
Sydney Seiler, also a former US special envoy to the six-party talks on North Korea, told the network that President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law would be watched closely by leaders in Pyongyang:
We need to keep our eyes focused on North Korea and whether they will see an opportunity to exploit this.
This could be the departure point for President Yoon seeking some type of ability to talk with the opposition about how to break through the current deadlock.
A state department spokesperson said the US expects the vote by South Korea lawmakers to invalidate the martial law declaration by President Yoon Suk Yeol will be honored.
“Certainly it is our hope and expectation that the laws and regulations of a particular country are abided by. That does include the National Assembly vote,” Vedant Patel told reporters at a lunchtime briefing.
Here’s the moment South Korea’s president declared martial law in a surprise late-night announcement. Yoon Suk Yeol said the emergency measure was needed to “defend the free Republic of Korea from the threat of North Korean communist forces” and prevent the country from descending into “national ruin”.
Our video editors have put together this clip on the announcement:
Here are some new photos coming through the wire of the scenes in Seoul outside the National Assembly:
United Nations officials are watching the situation in South Korea very closely and with concern, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Tuesday.
“The situation is evolving quickly” Dujarric added.
The Kremlin has called South Korea’s martial law declaration “concerning”, Interfax news agency is reporting.
President Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told the agency that “the situation is concerning” adding “we are watching closely.”
US was not given advance notice of South Korean President’s declaration of martial law, White House says
The United States was not given advance notice of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law in the country, a White House spokesperson told Reuters on Tuesday, adding that Washington is “seriously concerned by the developments there.”
President Joe Biden’s administration is in contact with the South Korean government and is monitoring the situation closely, the spokesperson added.
South Korean military officials say it will maintain martial law until lifted by president
South Korean military officials have said martial law will remain in effect until lifted by President Yoon Suk Yeol, according to local broadcaster YTN, other local media reports and Agence France-Presse, despite the parliament’s vote to lift it.
Here are some photos of South Korean martial law soldiers recently leaving the National Assembly:
