[UPDATED] South Korean president says he will lift martial law after lawmakers vote to reject his move
[UPDATED] South Korean president says he will lift martial law after lawmakers vote to reject his move
The president of South Korea has lifted the martial law he imposed on the country, bending to political pressure after a tense night in which troops surrounded parliament and lawmakers voted to reject military rule.
Summary (updated)
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law late Tuesday to counter "anti-state" forces, accusing opposition lawmakers of pro-North Korean sympathies.
Parliament, controlled by the opposition, quickly voted to nullify the declaration, calling it unconstitutional.
Protesters and lawmakers denounced Yoon's move as authoritarian, echoing South Korea's pre-democracy era.
Military personnel withdrew following the vote, and Yoon promised to lift martial law after a Cabinet meeting.
Critics warned of democratic backsliding. This marks South Korea's first martial law declaration since democratization in 1987.
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Wat.
Well, glad it didn't work.
Didn't it? Sounds like things aren't getting better.
Uhh, I just read the summery. A moment.
The BBC reports the military isn't gonna listen to the vote
It's like 4am there though so might be quiet for a bit.
General strike called for by one of the big unions too until Yoon resigns
Jesus Christ.
Edit: Okay, he said he's going to withdraw it, like he's supposed to when the parliament votes for it, but this is such a whirlwind I have to expect the unexpected.
It is a good practice to doubt the pinkie promises of wannabe dictators
Yes, it sure is. In geopolitics there's no actual binding rules, just threats and relationships.
BBC is now reporting that the cabinet has lifted the martial law, which I assume means the immediate threat is over, without knowing how South Korean constitutional procedures work. There's still a damn lot of "pieces to pick up", though.
That should immediately end your turn as a president IMO.
That's pretty much what the parliamentarians are saying, it sounds like.