SEOUL, Dec 3 (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday declared martial law in an unannounced late night address broadcast live on YTN television.

Yoon said he had no choice but to resort to such a measure in order to safeguard free and constitutional order, saying opposition parties have taken hostage of the parliamentary process to throw the country into a crisis.

"I declare martial law to protect the free Republic of Korea from the threat of North Korean communist forces, to eradicate the despicable pro-North Korean anti-state forces that are plundering the freedom and happiness of our people, and to protect the free constitutional order," Yoon said.

He did not say in the address what specific measures will be taken.

Yoon cited a motion by the country's opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in parliament, this week to impeach some of the country's top prosecutors and its rejection of a government budget proposal.

edit: BBC live feed. This just broke an hour ago so they're still gathering information: https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cn38321180et

edit: Maybe it's over? Per the BBC-

South Koreans celebrate as Yoon withdraws martial law troops - published at 12:43

Moments after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced he would lift the martial law people outside the National Assembly celebrated, the AFP news agency reports.

It adds that Yoon says martial law troops have withdrawn after the National Assembly voted to block his imposition of military rule.

  • came_apart_at_Kmart [he/him, comrade/them]
    ·
    1 month ago

    sort of a classic South Korean presidential move.

    declare martial law, liquidate some people resistant to your fascist government and it's openly corrupt business dealings, blame communists to the north for everything with zero evidence or logic, and maybe throw in a prayer/prophecy for the magic ghosts that your family's right wing cult venerates.

    haven't seen it in a while, but sometimes you gotta return to those early fundamentals your entire bullshit fake client state was founded on.

  • BobDole [none/use name]
    ·
    1 month ago
    1. awful approval rating

    2. elections a month away

    Oh yeah, it’s martial law time

      • buh [she/her]
        ·
        1 month ago

        What if it was marital law and all adults were required to be married to Kim Jong Un in one big polycule

  • Evilphd666 [he/him, comrade/them]
    ·
    1 month ago

    threat of North Korean communist forces, to eradicate the despicable pro-North Korean anti-state forces that are plundering the freedom and happiness of our people,

    Ok how the hell is DPRK "plundering the freedom and happiness" of SK?

    • huf [he/him]
      ·
      1 month ago

      what did NK send them this time? more trash?

      • Evilphd666 [he/him, comrade/them]
        ·
        1 month ago

        Seems to be more of a prolonged rut

        Show

        https://thediplomat.com/2023/03/rich-south-korea-unhappy-koreans/

        South Korea has the highest suicide rate and the lowest fertility rate among the 38 OECD member nations. The number of suicides in 2021 rose to 26 per 100,000 from 25.7 in the previous year. And the national fertility rate further fell to just 0.78 in 2022 from 0.81 in 2021, making South Korea the only nation with a fertility rate below 1.0 in contrast to an average overall fertility rate of 1.59 among OECD nations as of 2020.

        Many young Koreans frequently cry out online: “Isaengmang,” an abbreviation of a Korean phrase literally meaning, “This life is ruined.”

    • the_post_of_tom_joad [any, any]
      ·
      edit-2
      1 month ago

      "Freedom plundering" haha. Where are these so-called freedom stores that i may join in this "plunder"? I want that tang sizzlin on my tongue just once!

  • Acute_Engles [he/him, any]
    ·
    1 month ago

    I have a group chat with a couple of my former journeypeople who taught me the trade while i was an apprentice.

    I sent this article to this chat with a dumb quip like "looks like south korea was the real north korea all along" i believe it was. This is the first response and what, i believe, will be the John Q. Public response to this.

    I imagine it has to do with all the north sending troops to Ukraine and the impending ww3. But I didn't read it, so I'll just assume lol.

    Our trade has a reputation for being dumb guys who do drugs (we're not roofers, FYI) but when I read that I just sighed.

          • GalaxyBrain [they/them]
            ·
            1 month ago

            I do find it amazing what society has decided we can trust to people who are drunk and have been up for 3 days smoking meth and what we don't. Putting up buildings, sure! Working a checkout counter, abso not!

            • Krem [he/him, they/them]
              ·
              1 month ago

              making spreadsheets in a cubicle? unthinkable. making a delicious restaurant meal? necessary!

              • Bureaucrat
                ·
                1 month ago

                Which is crazy because meth would make you great for hyperfocusing on spreadsheets

              • Chapo_is_Red [he/him]
                ·
                1 month ago

                making spreadsheets in a cubicle? unthinkable

                When did they start drug testing white collar workers?

                • frauddogg
                  ·
                  edit-2
                  4 days ago

                  deleted by creator

      • Acute_Engles [he/him, any]
        ·
        edit-2
        1 month ago

        Literally the coldest, least controversial opinion in the trades

        I know multiple ticketed roofers who would agree wholeheartedly

    • BeamBrain [he/him]
      ·
      1 month ago

      I imagine it has to do with all the north sending troops to Ukraine and the impending ww3.

      parenti-hands

  • nohaybanda [he/him]
    ·
    1 month ago

    I’m waiting for all the democracy lovers clutching their pearls about Georgia to chime in on this shit. Yup. Aaaaaaany minute now

    blob-no-thoughts

  • SorosFootSoldier [he/him, they/them]
    ·
    1 month ago

    He did not say in the address what specific measures will be taken.

    Declared martial law

    Refuses to elaborate further

    Is killed by a North Korean drone

  • Infamousblt [any]M
    ·
    1 month ago

    This is what rules based democracy looks like sweaty I don't make the rules

  • ObamaSama [he/him]
    ·
    1 month ago

    Three of my buddies there are saying it’s a complete nothing burger as far as affecting everyday life, “martial law” here does not mean the military shutting anything down. Just some internal power struggles that somehow scapegoat the DPRK?

    • SorosFootSoldier [he/him, they/them]
      ·
      1 month ago

      Just some internal power struggles that somehow scapegoat the DPRK?

      I hope Kim is laughing while these dumb dumb SK politicians try to coup one another sit-back-and-enjoy

    • happybadger [he/him]
      hexagon
      ·
      1 month ago

      It seems like it's just now taking shape. The latest BBC reports are:

      Police buses block entrance to parliament, local media reports

      and

      Opposition leader calls for public to gather outside National Assembly - report

  • TankieTanuki [he/him]
    ·
    edit-2
    1 month ago

    Opposition party speaker had to climb fence to access parliament

    guaido-despair moment

    Show

  • plinky [he/him]
    ·
    1 month ago

    Show

    so like, if it's true, the military will just start arresting people?

    • happybadger [he/him]
      hexagon
      ·
      1 month ago

      Seems like that's the event it's building to. The parliament is apparently filled with special forces soldiers and they're flying blackhawks over it.

      • plinky [he/him]
        ·
        edit-2
        1 month ago

        Seems fairly shoddily planned, 2/10 (1 for helicopters). Hope koreans lose their right vs right duopoly (metaphorically speaking, think they reassemble parties constantly) and get some socdems inshallah

          • plinky [he/him]
            ·
            1 month ago

            you can't say anything good about best korea, but dunno about "increasing salaries" or "higher taxes" or "decreasing working hours"

  • dkr567 [comrade/them, he/him]
    ·
    edit-2
    1 month ago

    I love waking up to one event that I was afraid it may occur actually occurred under this freak of a president.