South Korean president attempts military takeover, declares martial law

Earlier today (early in the morning Korean time), Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in South Korea, effectively taking control of the government via the military. Citing North Korean influence, the declaration was unexpected and didn’t follow the normal constitutional procedures for making such a declaration.

Less than three hours later, the South Korean parliament met and voted 190 to 0 to nullify the martial law order. Per the constitution, President Yoon should immediately revoke the martial law declaration. According to the Minister of Defense, the military will not stand down until President Yoon cancels martial law, regardless of what the parliament says.

So far, protests have been tense, but peaceful. Reuters is reporting that the military has mostly stood down from the parliament building. However, police forces are still active on the ground.

Within four hours of the declaration, President Yoon rescinded the order, de-escalating the situation. There are now calls for his impeachment and replacement. Despite this, all appears to be returning to relative normal on the Korean peninsula.

Updated (12/04/2024, 12:09 PM EST): Updated to reflect the standing down of the military and rescinding of martial law.