# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2024, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/61 "2024-12-06T12:03:22Z")
“The Orient” is definitely problematic–but that was part of the joke, that the author was treating “the law” like some sort of mystical concept from the Far East and fetishizing it in the way that a lot of folks fetishize anything East Asian. ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2024, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/62 "2024-12-06T12:13:32Z")
I was told that using “Orient” as a geography was fine, but not for people. We do, after all, discuss “Oriental Rugs” without the clutching of pearls. I mean, here in Boston one purveyor of such rugs underwrites on the local NPR station. And in case you didn’t know, NPR is the official maintainer of the Euphemism Treadmill. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2024, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/63 "2024-12-06T12:28:03Z")
Rumours of a second coup attempt are doing the rounds in BlueSky. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2024, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/64 "2024-12-06T12:41:07Z")
> [@OldOlds](#): > > I was told that using “Orient” as a geography was fine, but not for people. This article provides a pretty good overview of the issues with the terminology. But at that, I think I’m getting pretty far afield, so I will leave it there, unless someone wants to start a thread on the topic. > **[About Japan: A Teacher's Resource | What's the Matter with Saying 'The...](https://aboutjapan.japansociety.org/content.cfm/whats_the_matter_with_saying_the_orient)** > > Yale professor Chris Hill argues against using terms like ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2024, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/65 "2024-12-06T13:12:24Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Orient” is definitely problematic–but that was part of the joke, that the author was treating “the law” like some sort of mystical concept from the Far East and fetishizing it Or “exoticizing” it, if we want to avoid some of the connotations of that last term. But yeah, the post was obvious sarcastic commentary on how the notion of The Law being above “I am the Boss” now seems alien to some in our society, deliberately written in that tone. ---
**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 6, 2024, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/66 "2024-12-06T16:39:44Z")
The parliamentary leader of Yoon’s own party has now definitely come out in favour of “suspending” Yoon’s powers, which sounds like code for supporting impeachment, since a vote of impeachment immediately suspends the president’s powers and hands them to the prime minister. What appears to have tipped his position is that he now has evidence that Yoon planned to arrest MPs. > [@](#): > > The apparent U-turn by Han Dong-hoon, chief of Yoon’s own People Power Party, comes after he received “credible evidence” that Yoon had ordered the arrest of key politicians during the short-lived martial law imposed on Tuesday night, Han told reporters Friday. > > “In light of these new emerging facts, I have concluded that it is necessary to suspend President Yoon Suk Yeol’s powers promptly to protect South Korea and its people,” said Yoon, who had earlier opposed the impeachment citing the risk of unrest and chaos. > > “If President Yoon continues to hold the presidency, there is a significant risk that extreme actions like this martial law declaration could be repeated, putting South Korea and its citizens in grave danger,” he added. The vote will likely be tomorrow. > **[South Korea’s ruling party leader calls for suspension of president’s powers...](https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/12/05/asia/south-korea-ruling-party-leader-suspension-presidential-power-intl-hnk)** > > The leader of South Korea’s ruling party said Friday that President Yoon Suk Yeoul needs to be immediately suspended from duty to protect the country from “grave danger,” in a dramatic reversal of opinion that compounds the pressure building on Yoon... ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2024, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/67 "2024-12-06T16:44:12Z")
> Last night at 11 p.m., I declared a state of emergency martial law with a determined will to save the nation, in response to anti-state forces that were paralyzing the essential functions of the state and undermining the liberal democratic constitutional order. Which is sort of like raping a women to save her virginity. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2024, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/68 "2024-12-06T16:47:09Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Which is sort of like raping a women to save her virginity. "The Communists can’t undermine the liberal democratic constitutional order if I do it _first!_ I’m a _genius!"_ ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2024, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/69 "2024-12-06T17:25:45Z")
As my ethnically Chinese wife says: “Rugs are Oriental. People are Asians.” ---
**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 7, 2024, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/70 "2024-12-07T02:19:16Z")
Yoon has apologized, said he won’t do it again, and will accept legal consequences. Han, the leader of Yoon’s own party, continues to call for his suspension. (The People Power Party, or PPP.) I made a mistake in an earlier post. Han is the leader of the party, but is not himself a member of Parliament so has no vote. Eight of the PPP have to vote for impeachment for the motion to pass. Eighteen of them previously joined in the vote to rescind martial law. > **[South Korean president apologises for martial law attempt as impeachment vote...](https://amp.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/07/south-korean-president-apologises-for-martial-law-attempt-as-impeachment-vote-looms)** > > Yoon Suk Yeol tells nation he will face legal consequences and will not try to impose martial law for a second time ---
**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 7, 2024, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/71 "2024-12-07T03:35:20Z")
> [@Mighty\_Mouse](#): > > 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. Went to pick up my cleaning today, and the guy is positively seething. He hasn’t given up hope the Yoon will find another way to rid South Korea of these weak-willed, lily-livered pinkos. ---
**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 7, 2024, 9:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/72 "2024-12-07T09:31:46Z")
[Arirang TV is covering the vote live in the National Assembly on the motion to impeach the president.](https://wwitv.com/tv_channels/b3515.htm) Arirang TV is an English-language channel from South Korea, so this coverage is in English… ---
**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 7, 2024, 10:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/73 "2024-12-07T10:44:41Z")
From CNN: > [@](#): > > South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to survive an impeachment vote against him after governing party lawmakers boycotted parliament on Saturday. > > A number of lawmakers left parliament ahead of the vote to impeach President Yoon over his decision to impose a short-lived period of martial law earlier this week, with just two seen remaining. > > At least 200 lawmakers are needed for the vote to be carried out. Outside the main hall, opposition lawmakers could be heard shouting, “Go inside [the chamber]!” and calling them “cowards.” But it goes on to say that things don’t look good for Yoon in the long term. ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2024, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/74 "2024-12-07T13:18:35Z")
So it isn’t just the US where they put party first. Somehow comforting and disconcerting at the same time. ---
**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 7, 2024, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/75 "2024-12-07T17:21:07Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Cromwell commanded the _parliamentarian_ forces. Cromwell also shut down Parliament by military force when it refused to implement religious reforms he wanted, and replaced it with a nominated assembly: > Cromwell finally became so frustrated that on 20 April 1653 he led an armed force into the Commons Chamber (as Charles I had done in January 1642) and forcibly dissolved the Rump, stating: " You have sat too long for any good you have been doing lately … In the name of God, go!" May have been the first “autocoup” in the modern sense. Mind you, by that point the Long Parliament had likely lost its representative character, having been elected in 1640, and previously had unacceptable members purged by the New Model Army in 1648. [https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/evolutionofparliament/parliamentaryauthority/civilwar/overview/rump-dissolved/](https://www.parliament.uk/about/living-heritage/evolutionofparliament/parliamentaryauthority/civilwar/overview/rump-dissolved/) ---
**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 8, 2024, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/76 "2024-12-08T00:18:10Z")
[The impeachment motion did not pass.](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2024/12/356_387885.html) (The link goes to _The Korea Times_.) > President Yoon Suk Yeol escaped impeachment on Saturday, as the National Assembly failed to pass the motion to oust him over his short-lived martial law, which sent shockwaves through Korea and triggered massive street protests. > > The impeachment motion failed as most ruling People Power Party (PPP) lawmakers boycotted the vote by walking out the Assembly chamber, preventing it from reaching the quorum, 200 votes. Impeaching a seating president requires support from a two-thirds majority of the 300-member parliament to pass. Bit it ain’t over. (Same article.) > The DPK condemned the PPP for not participating in the voting and vowed to submit the impeachment motion again. > > “PPP is not a democratic party. The PPP is a criminal traitor that actively participated in the act of rebellion. We will push for the impeachment vote again and pass the impeachment by the end of this year. Han should bear historical responsibility,” DPK leader Rep. Lee Jae-myung said. > > The main opposition said it will table the impeachment motion every week until it’s passed. > > “We will immediately hold a special session on Dec. 11, a day after the last day of the parliamentary regular session, and push for the impeachment vote again on Dec. 14,” the DPK said. ---
**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 8, 2024, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/77 "2024-12-08T22:03:21Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > "President Yoon Suk Yeol escaped impeachment on Saturday, as the National Assembly failed to pass the motion to oust him over his short-lived martial law, which sent shockwaves through Korea and triggered massive street protests. > > The impeachment motion failed as most ruling People Power Party (PPP) lawmakers boycotted the vote by walking out the Assembly chamber, preventing it from reaching the quorum" ^ From the linked quote in your post. So, as @OldOlds noted, it’s another case of party before country. But they weren’t confident-enough of their position to actually participate in a vote (which presumably the coup-attempter Yoon would have lost). ---
**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 11, 2024, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/78 "2024-12-11T19:17:40Z")
Former defence minister said to have attempted suicide in jail: > **[Ex-defence chief in South Korea tried to kill himself after being arrested...](https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/ex-defence-chief-in-south-korea-tried-to-kill-himself-after-being-arrested-over-martial-law-1.7141259)** > > South Korea's previous defence minister was stopped from attempting suicide while in detention over last week's martial law declaration, officials said Wednesday, as President Yoon Suk Yeol's office resisted a police attempt to search the compound. ---
**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 13, 2024, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/79 "2024-12-13T15:06:58Z")
Am account of how Yoon gave his Cabinet five minutes’ notice of martial law: [https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/investing/commodities/2024/12/13/five-minutes-to-martial-law-yoon-stunned-cabinet-with-snap-move/](https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/investing/commodities/2024/12/13/five-minutes-to-martial-law-yoon-stunned-cabinet-with-snap-move/) ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2024, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111/80 "2024-12-13T15:11:03Z")
As far as I can tell, we still don’t really know why he did it, do we? I know he made claims about infiltrators from the north, but I doubt many people really believe that. Anyone have any more thoughts or facts or reporting on the why? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/south-korea-declares-martial-law/1011111.md?page=5)