South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced martial law late Tuesday night, but it was short-lived as lawmakers, including leader Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party, forced their way into parliament to vote down the decree.
Lee initially thought the announcement was a deepfake, but after watching the video, he realized it was real. He urged his party members to pass a resolution to lift martial law within an hour of Yoon’s announcement. However, when Lee arrived at the National Assembly, he found troops blocking the main building and military helicopters circling overhead.
Undeterred, Lee climbed over a fence and entered the building live-streaming the whole time. The move was captured in a viral video that has been viewed tens of millions of times on social platforms. A total of 180 lawmakers voted down the decree, pushing Yoon to lift martial law early Wednesday.
Pressure is mounting on Yoon, with protesters and opposition figures demanding his impeachment. National police have launched an investigation into Yoon and other top officials on treason allegations. Lee’s Democratic Party has also filed charges against Yoon and other officials for insurrection.
The opposition introduced impeachment measures in Parliament, which could vote on the issue as soon as Saturday. If it reaches the two-thirds majority to pass, it will then go to one of the country’s highest courts for further approval. However, Yoon’s ruling People Power Party is working to block the move.
The crisis has led to resignations, including that of the defense minister, and senior military figures have distanced themselves from the martial law decree. The vice defense minister apologized on Thursday, saying he was not aware of the martial law order until he read media reports.
Lawmakers are now sleeping in parliament, fearing another declaration of martial law at any time. The future of Yoon’s presidency and his party’s position in government are now under scrutiny.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/05/asia/south-korea-lee-jae-myung-martial-law-deepfake-intl-hnk/index.html