What’s going on in Korea?
The president declared martial law in an unexpected late-night address. He justified the decision by citing threats from NK and accusing the Democratic Party of destabilizing the govt through attempts to impeach prosecutors & reject the budget.
For weeks, calls for the president’s resignation had been growing across society. More than 4,000 university professors and researchers demanded the president to step down, accusing him of eroding democracy and prioritizing personal power. Religious leaders, too, joined the dissent—over 1,400 Catholic priests publicly criticized Yoon for fostering division and failing to uphold the nation’s trust. These calls were amplified by massive public protests, with an estimated 100,000 people gathering in Seoul in early November to demand his resignation.
Many fear the implications of martial law. For many, the announcement raises painful memories of past martial law declarations, such as the suppression of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising.