South Korean president urged to resign after martial law chaos

Martial law was enacted in South Korea for just six hours, prompting widespread outrage after the President cited ‘threats’ from North Korea.

President Yoon Suk Yeol issued the order in a television address, vowing eliminate ‘anti-state’ forces as he suspended parliament, banned political gatherings and ordered the end of a long-running doctors’ strike.

Just hours after doing so, the National Assembly unanimously voted to lift martial law. President Yeol has since announced the martial law is over, with his cabinet officially ending it.

‘I have accepted the decision made by the National Assembly to dissolve and lift the martial law,’ he told the nation.

The constitution says if the parliament votes to end martial law in a majority vote – which they have – the president must follow suit.

President Yeol accused opposition parties for allegedly taking hostage of parliament to throw the country into a crisis and for sympathising with North Korea.

But his order threw the country into chaos, with many defying his words and taking to the streets to protest. He did not cite any specific threat from nuclear-armed North Korea, instead focusing on his domestic political opponents.

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