South Korea’s conservative president Yoon Suk Yeol has declared martial law, accusing the left-wing bloc that controls the national assembly of North Korean sympathies and plotting rebellion.
Yoon, a hardline former chief prosecutor, said in a late night television address on Tuesday that he would “eliminate anti-state forces as quickly as possible and normalise the country”.
The martial law declaration also bans “all political activities, including those of the National Assembly, local councils, political parties”, and demonstrations.
It adds that “all media and publications will be subject to the control of the Martial Law Command”.
Yoon pledged to “eradicate pro-North Korean forces and protect the constitutional democratic order”, but did not elaborate on how martial law would be enforced.
He asked the South Korean people to believe in him and tolerate “some inconveniences” as he accused the opposition of plotting rebellion.
In response, opposition leaders called lawmakers to parliament and denounced the declaration of martial law as unconstitutional.
Yoon has been at odds with the opposition majority in parliament, which last week voted to cut almost $3bn from his proposed 2025 budget, a move seen as an attempt to rein in the presidency.
Accusing Yoon of authoritarian tendencies, the left-wing parties focused their proposed cuts on the office of the president, national prosecutors and the police.
Yoon’s move will complicate relations with the US, South Korea’s most important ally, and its outgoing president Joe Biden. The US National Security Council said on Monday: “The administration is in contact with the [Korean] government and is monitoring the situation closely.”
The South Korean currency slumped to a two-year low on Tuesday after the declaration. The won was down 1.9 per cent against the dollar to 1430, its weakest level since October 2022.
New York-listed shares in South Korean companies fell at Tuesday’s open, with shipbuilder Posco and retailer Coupang both down about 7 per cent in early trading.
“This is not a normal thing to happen in a developed economy,” said Lee Hardman, a currency analyst at MUFG, adding that he expected the won to come under further pressure.
Yoon’s right-wing People Power Party suffered a resounding defeat at the hands of the left in parliamentary elections in April. The president has also clashed with the PPP leader Han Dong-hoon over the past year, increasing his isolation.
After the declaration of martial law, Han joined the opposition in denouncing Yoon’s move.
Additional reporting by Mari Novik