A week ago, Tuesday night, at 10:25 PM on December 3, 2024, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol unexpectedly appeared on television and declared martial law. That was the first time in 45 years of a modern country with a vibrant democracy and, it just sent a shock wave across the country and surprised the international community.
I have lived in Korea for the past 10 years where foreign residents have always been on the alert about what’s to happen on the Korean peninsula where the two countries are technically at war and have constant tensions. A recent estimate indicates that over 2.5 million foreign nationals live in the country, this number including international students, migrant workers, and refugees.
Upon hearing the breaking news and being completely shocked, my first guess was war broke out and it was imminent for the president to rush with the emergency declaration. That first guess was solidified when I heard unusual military helicopters hovering overhead in the dark Seoul’s skies.
A few hours later, it turns out that the martial law declaration was a political tactic to attack opposition
parties, the free press, and civil societies, a mistaken declaration against democratic rights. Within 6
hours of the declaration, things were unfolding quickly. The Chief of Staff of the Army was appointed as Martial Law Commander, and the Martial Law Command issued proclamations.
These included measures such as banning all political activities, controlling the media, and allowing arrests and detentions without warrants. The helicopters were busy deploying special forces troops who stormed the National Assembly and other key places. The iconic Korean National Assembly was shut down, and soldiers entered the building around midnight, clashing with the staff and civilians. For many in the country, it was very difficult to go to sleep. I just felt a deep concern and anxiety late in the night.
At 1:00, early in the morning, with unwavering support from citizens, 190 lawmakers out of 300 members from both ruling and opposition parties gathered at the National Assembly. The lawmakers held an emergency session and unanimously passed a resolution demanding the termination of martial law. After the resolution was passed, the military forces withdrew from the National Assembly.
Opposition parties and various civil society organizations quickly issued statements calling for the lifting of martial law and the revocation of the Martial Law Command’s proclamations, arguing that the declaration violated the Constitution. At 4:30 am, on December 4, 2024, the President lifted the martial law declaration which lasted only 6 hours.
It was widely reported that according to South Korea’s Constitution, martial law can only be declared in times of war, armed conflict, or a similar national emergency. The Lawyers for a Democratic Society (Minbyun) criticized the recent declaration of martial law, stating that “President Yoon’s martial law declaration and the related actions of the military have no basis under the Constitution or law.” They described it as “An exercise of state power that undermines the functions of the National Assembly and judiciary while violating fundamental rights such as the freedoms of assembly and association.” Minbyun also pointed out that “President Yoon’s declaration of martial law violates procedural requirements under the Constitution and Martial Law Act for declaring martial law.”
Public protest in front of the assembly, a screenshot of live CCTV footage on 10 December evening.
I live in a village near the National Assembly in Seoul City. It’s only about 25 minutes away on my bike along the Han River. Two days before the martial law declaration, I ran 5 km near the building, taking part in the marathon with thousands of people.
Korean National Assembly Building photo taken on 6 December 2024 by Bereket Alemayehu.
It’s said that it’s the largest single parliamentary building in the east. And I have been inside a couple of times as well, as it’s one of the accessible and visitor-friendly places in the city. For decades, that powerful building has been a symbol of vibrant Korean democracy, freedom, modernity, and economic miracles as well as Korean unification, as the plenary chamber in the building has additional seats for new lawmakers in case reunification occurs.
Last week, once again, it stood firm in upholding democratic values when political turmoil shocked the country.