# South Korea Declares Martial Law **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 3, 2024, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111 "2024-12-03T14:09:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2024, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/21 "2024-12-03T18:36:16Z")
OK, fine. But one doesn’t need to look too hard to find instances where soldiers HAVE fired on their countrymen. Sometimes quite willingly, and sometimes because things got out of hand. But it’s happened plenty often. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2024, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/22 "2024-12-03T20:42:42Z")
The President has withdrawn his declaration of martial law, and the martial law command has been disbanded. (The BBC link below is a live feed, do still has the original headline. ) > **[South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol declares emergency martial law - live...](https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cn38321180et)** > > In a surprise late night television address he says the move was necessary to protect the country from North Korea's communist forces. ETA: Better link: > **[South Korea president to lift martial law after parliamentary vote, protests...](https://globalnews.ca/news/10898897/south-korea-martial-law/amp/)** > > South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol made the announcement Tuesday, vowing to 'eradicate pro-North Korean forces and protect the constitutional democratic order.' ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2024, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/23 "2024-12-03T20:46:27Z")
I am pretty sure the Parliament and public protests had something to do with that… which makes me question the point of the entire gambit if the President could not make it stick. Fatal miscalculation? ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2024, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/24 "2024-12-03T20:51:08Z")
Sounds like it. Apparently he’s a former prosecutor, not used to negotiating, and is facing a hostile majority in the parliament. Prediction in the second article is that there will be a quick impeachment, followed by criminal charges. ETA: more updates in an Al Jazeera news feed. Impeachment requires 200 votes in the 300 member Assembly. The main party has 192 seats, and there are rumours the president’s own party may turn against him, pushing the vote to over 200. > **[South Korea president to lift martial law order after parliament rejection](https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/liveblog/2024/12/3/live-south-koreas-president-yoon-declares-emergency-martial-law)** > > President had said the move was necessary to protect the country from ‘communist forces’. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2024, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/25 "2024-12-03T20:55:05Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Prediction in the second article et is that there will be a quick impeachment, followed by criminal charges. I sincerely hope this prediction is true, and that my own prediction in post #18 is also true: > And I am sure the president elect and his team are taking good note of how this is done and what happens next. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2024, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/26 "2024-12-03T21:06:48Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > I am pretty sure the Parliament and public protests had something to do with that… Let’s keep that “public protests” part in mind. We might need to learn from their example pretty soon. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2024, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/27 "2024-12-03T21:10:03Z")
Yes, the parliamentarians acted courageously , retaking the Assembly building from the military. Hmm, politicians showing courage against a president. Interesting precedent. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2024, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/28 "2024-12-03T21:30:04Z")
President Yoon: “I’ve made a huge mistake.” ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2024, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/29 "2024-12-03T21:32:13Z")
Haha! Love it. Maybe Michael will bail him out. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2024, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/30 "2024-12-03T22:22:54Z")
Checks and balances actually working?! That’s a fairy tale in today’s world. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2024, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/31 "2024-12-03T22:27:51Z")
If their legislative body is a “parliament”, how are the President and the majority of Parliament of opposite parties? ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2024, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/32 "2024-12-03T22:28:34Z")
> [@OldOlds](#): > > But one doesn’t need to look too hard to find instances where soldiers HAVE fired on their countrymen. Does the National Guard at Kent State count? ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2024, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/33 "2024-12-03T22:31:11Z")
That was one of the examples I had in mind. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2024, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/34 "2024-12-03T22:45:43Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > If their legislative body is a “parliament”, how are the President and the majority of Parliament of opposite parties? Election timing mostly. The President serves a 5 year term without possibility of re-election (elected 2 years ago) and legislative elections are held every 4 years (newly seated this year). I wouldn’t say ‘opposite’ parties, either. There are a couple bigger parties but there are several active political parties that can and do grow or shrink with the years, some even occasionally spinning off sub-parties that are affiliated but target specific demographics or interests. Outright majority control by a single party can happen but it doesn’t always occur. In the latest iteration of South Korean government, the President can no longer dissolve the National Assembly by decree and the Assembly can override any Presidential decision. Clearly, between the timing and different parties, this can make things interesting when a President and/or his party suddenly becomes unpopular between respective elections. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2024, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/35 "2024-12-03T23:26:55Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > If their legislative body is a “parliament”, how are the President and the majority of Parliament of opposite parties? There are several countries where the President and Parliament are elected separately and can be of different parties. France has had the same situation at times. ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2024, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/36 "2024-12-03T23:31:39Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > > [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > > > Prediction in the second article et is that there will be a quick impeachment, followed by criminal charges. > > I sincerely hope this prediction is true, and that my own prediction in post #18 is also true: > > > And I am sure the president elect and his team are taking good note of how this is done and what happens next. Sadly, what Trump is likely to learn is that he should make sure he has a Big Event (of 9/11 or similar shock and size) to justify the martial law. Apparently in this South Korea case the president merely made vague claims about the opposing party being in sympathy with Communists. That wasn’t enough. If-or-when Trump does it, he’ll have built up to it via a series of “terrorist” attacks, which could only be dealt with by the imposition of martial law. (Not that I believe Donald himself capable of planning all this out–but he does have pro-autocracy minions who can and would do it.) ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/37 "2024-12-04T00:35:09Z")
This morning at 9:30 I was at my [Korean] dry cleaners and the owner was positively giddy with excitement. I mean he literally could not speak properly, he was so thrilled. I was tempted to “find” another garment to drop off at 5pm, but decided poking the bear was not a good idea. Especially since he’s a gun toting bear. He blames Biden for killing the dry cleaning business, so you can imagine the depth of his analysis. Everyone anything to the right of a totalitarian military dictator is “communist sympathizer” to him. He has been dreaming of a return to a military government that would be serious about fighting North Korea and China, and today for a couple of shining hours he could almost taste it. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/38 "2024-12-04T00:55:38Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I hope @Monty is okay. @Monty is in China now but I believe his wife is Korean. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/39 "2024-12-04T01:23:07Z")
Oh, quite right. My mistake. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2024, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/40 "2024-12-04T01:30:51Z")
Correct. I am in Beijing. My wife is South Korean. And her younger brother is a police inspector (lieutenant). South Korean presidents now are limited to a single five-year term. That means they are automatically lame ducks when they enter office. If their party does not have a majority or cannot form a coalition in the single chamber parliament, they’re in for a rought time in office. Impeachment is done a bit differently than in the US owing to the parliament only having the one chamber. A motion to impeach must have a two-thirds majority, and then the Constitutional Court debates the motion. If they uphold the motion, the president is impeached. A bit of trivia: President Yoon is the one who moved the presidential office from the Blue House to the Defense Ministry compound next to the United States Army Garrison Yongsan in the Itaeweon area of Yongsan district. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111.md?page=3)