The emergency martial law declared by President Yoon Suk Yeol was lifted just six hours after it was announced.
Martial law ended as a mere incident, but the nation is in shock. It is hard to gauge how far its consequences will go.
Yoon proclaimed martial law Tuesday night, saying that it was aimed at eradicating pro-North Korean forces and protecting the constitutional order of freedom. The martial law command issued a decree banning all political activities. People were perplexed at the sudden declaration.
The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea convened its lawmakers to the National Assembly. Han Dong-hoon, leader of the ruling People Power Party, called Yoon's martial law declaration wrong and vowed to "block it together with the people."
Under the Constitution, the president can declare martial law in response to military needs during times of war, armed conflict, a national emergency, or when public safety and order require it. Yoon cited the opposition party's persistent impeachment drive targeting government bureaucrats and prosecutors, and its drastic reduction of the budget for next year, but few people would regard them as conditions requiring a declaration of martial law. It is hard to find grounds for proclaiming martial law in the current situation.
The National Assembly held a general session at around 1 a.m. Wednesday and approved a resolution to demand the lifting of martial law. The Assembly can demand termination of martial law with the approval of a majority of its members, and the president must accept the demand. All of 190 lawmakers who were present in the session consented. Scores of soldiers withdrew from the main building of the Assembly they had entered. Yoon lifted martial law about six hours after declaring it.
Among other things, opposition parties including the Democratic Party hold 192 of the 300 seats in the National Assembly. It was obvious that, if they gathered, they could pass a resolution to demand the end of martial law. Nevertheless, Yoon declared martial law. Even the leader of the ruling People Power Party opposed it. As a result, lawmakers of both ruling and opposition parties voted for the resolution unanimously. It is hard to understand why Yoon proclaimed martial law despite knowing this.
When the president mentioned protection of the constitutional order of freedom in his address, he seemed to have given a thought to the Democratic Party's recent attempts to disturb his administration.
His declaration of martial law came a day before the Assembly controlled by the majority opposition party was scheduled to vote on its impeachment bills against Choe Jae-hae, chair of the Board of Audit and Inspection, Lee Chang-soo, chief law enforcement officer of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office and two other senior prosecutors of the district office.
The party slashed the government budget for next year and passed it unilaterally through the budget committee of the Assembly. It has often pushed through populist bills over strong opposition from the government and the ruling party only to be vetoed by the president.
Yet it is unconvincing to say that martial law was needed to break through this situation. Political issues should be tackled politically. Declaring martial law and mobilizing troops are characteristics of a dictatorship. They are an anachronistic, misguided response that cannot but run into national resistance.
Yoon's declaration of martial law ended fruitlessly but has left strong effects. All the responsibilities lie in President Yoon. Separately from judicial issues related to martial law declaration, he faces sharp criticisms from people and even from within the ruling party. His political survival is at stake.
The opposition party, which has been criticized for using its parliamentary majority to prevent its leader, Lee Jae-myung, from being found guilty and disqualified to run for president, seeks to impeach President Yoon. Yet, investigations and trials of allegations involving Lee should go on without glitches. Above all, the operation of the government should not be shaken. Bold measures are needed for stable management of the state administration.
