"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," Mr Yoon said.
I mean that's always been the West's way of doing things, preemptively discredit claims about being a dictatorship and taking away freedom by claiming your doing it to protect freedom. It's basically the equivalent telling someone "I don't want to sound offensive, but...".