South Korea's Yoon backs down after declaring martial law

The Star

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Wednesday (Dec 4) he would lift a shock martial law declaration he had imposed just hours before, backing down in a standoff with parliament which roundly rejected his attempt to ban political activity and censor the media.  Read more at https://tinyurl.com/49vd5hxj  WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline

Transcript

00:00South Korean President Yoon Suk-yol said on Wednesday he would lift a martial law declaration

00:07he had imposed just hours earlier.

00:10It comes after a standoff with Parliament, which rejected his attempt to ban political

00:14activity and censor the media.

00:16Earlier, South Korean soldiers entered the Parliament building through smashed windows,

00:38apparently tasked with imposing martial law.

00:41Inside, furniture was used to barricade the entrance and doors were broken.

00:47Police scuffled with protesters outside as helicopters monitored the situation from the

00:51air.

01:05Yoon declared martial law on Tuesday night to thwart what he called anti-state forces

01:09among his opponents, but outraged lawmakers rejected the decree in South Korea's biggest

01:15political crisis in decades.

01:18Lifting martial law was then approved by the Cabinet early on Wednesday, according

01:22to Yonhap News Agency.

01:24Under South Korean law, the president must immediately lift martial law if Parliament

01:29demands it by a majority vote.

01:31Meanwhile, opposition lawmakers called on Yoon Suk-yol, who has been in office since

01:37to resign or face impeachment over the martial law declaration, the first in South Korea

01:43since 1980.

02:03The National Assembly can impeach the president if more than two-thirds of lawmakers vote

02:07for it.

02:08A trial is then held by the Constitutional Court, which can confirm it with a vote by

02:13six of the nine justices.

02:16Yoon's party controls 108 seats in the 300-member legislature.

Category

Transcript

Recommended