South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol declared a state of emergency and imposed martial law. He said on Tuesday (Dec 3) that the move was taken to counter the threat posed by the communist power in North Korea and eliminate anti-state elements. French news agency AFP reported.
In a televised address, President Yun said, “To protect liberal South Korea from the threat of North Korean communist forces and eliminate anti-state elements… I am declaring emergency martial law.”
He further alleged that without caring for the livelihood of the people, the opposition parties have crippled the governance system only to protect their leaders from impeachment, special investigation and prosecution.
Yun's move comes at a time when his People Power Party and the main opposition Democratic Party are locked in a bitter dispute over next year's budget bill. Opposition MPs approved a significantly cut budget plan through a parliamentary committee last week.
“Our parliament has now become a haven for criminals,” Yun said. It has become a legislative autocracy, trying to subvert our liberal democratic order.
The president accused opposition lawmakers of slashing the budget essential to the state's core operations. He said that by cutting the budget of important sectors like combating drug crime and maintaining public safety, the country has been turned into a drug sanctuary and a state of public insecurity.
Yun called the opposition an 'anti-state force' and described their aim as 'regime change'.
He said, I will eliminate the anti-state forces as soon as possible and bring the country back to normalcy.
