this post was submitted on 03 Dec 2024
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[–] Hubi@feddit.org 172 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

Yoon cited a motion by the country's opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in parliament, this week to impeach some of the country's top prosecutors and its rejection of a government budget proposal.

They declared martial law over a budget proposal??

[–] TheTechnician27@lemmy.world 136 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (20 children)
[–] Shardikprime@lemmy.world 79 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (4 children)

My god they are so efficient. Whole thing lasted like 3 hours

[–] Nighed@feddit.uk 64 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Don't hold you breath...

From BBC:

The South Korean military says it will maintain martial law until it is lifted by President Yoon Suk Yeol, despite the nation's parliament voting to block its enforcement, according to the country's national broadcaster.

[–] bdonvr@thelemmy.club 34 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)
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Yeah this is 100% a power grab. AFAIK there’s nothing going on right now in SK at a national level that could possibly justify the declaration of martial law countrywide.

[–] perestroika@lemm.ee 20 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (4 children)

As far as I understand, the president's decision might be void, since he was required to hold a session of the government before declaring martial law, but did not.

I predict that the military will consult their lawyers and stop enforcing it really soon.

I suspect the president either went insane or attempted some kind of a coup. His own party voting against his decision is a clear signal that it's a solo performance. He has no political backing.

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[–] clutchtwopointzero@lemmy.world 46 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Yes. This possibility has been discussed for months now. Yoon framed the cuts to his proposed budget as an "act of sympathy to the North" in his speech.

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[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 101 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (3 children)

After Yoon's statement the military said activities by parliament and political parties would be banned, and that media and publishers would be under the control of the martial law command.

Yoon did not cite any specific threat from the nuclear-armed North, instead focusing on his domestic political opponents. It is the first time since 1980 that martial law has been declared in South Korea.

That's uh pretty explicit. Not quoted are two other key facts;

  • In South Korean law parliament can end Martial Law with a simple majority vote.
  • They did that vote immediately.
  • The Army "attempted" to take the parliament building but was rebuffed by staff members and fire extinguishers.

Y'all, those soldiers were not on board with this idea. And this is all vitally important because South Korea was a dictatorship for most of the cold war. This is absolutely an attempt to reinstate that.

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[–] dance_ninja@lemmy.world 94 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (3 children)

Yoon said he had no choice but to resort to such a measure in order to safeguard free and constitutional order, saying opposition parties have taken hostage of the parliamentary process to throw the country into a crisis.

Not very familiar with the political situation in Seoul, but saying your political opponents are supporting North Korea sounds like a pretty serious accusation.

[–] clutchtwopointzero@lemmy.world 98 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Basically, anyone who does not agree with him now is being labelled a North Korea sympathizer

[–] Valthorn@feddit.nu 88 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Taking inspiration from Netanyahu I see.

[–] NOT_RICK@lemmy.world 41 points 2 weeks ago

Standard authoritarian playbook, disgusting

[–] drolex@sopuli.xyz 19 points 2 weeks ago

I must say, this is a welcome change from the old antisemitism accusation. Now I have two cards in my hand.

If you disagree, you're a North Semitic antikorean. No wait.

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[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 18 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

On the one hand calling your opponents commies has been around since we had commies to compare them to, but on the other Russian influence is on the rise and surprisingly effective.

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[–] Bumblefumble@lemm.ee 68 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

Is Martial law ever declared in a non-corrupt, power-grabbing way?

[–] cygnus@lemmy.ca 72 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (5 children)

Canada invoked the Emergencies Act in 2022 when the national capital was occupied by a convoy of antivaxers who shut down the city for days. There was some debate as to whether it was necessary and there was an inquiry afterward. The main reason for invoking it was to allow the federal government to use law enforcement since the Ottawa municipal police mostly sat on its hands during the whole debacle.

[–] n2burns@lemmy.ca 33 points 2 weeks ago

Also in Canada, the War Measures Act was used during the FLQ Crisis in 1970. While some may disagree with using martial law, I don't think many would say it was used in a corrupt, power-grabbing way.

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[–] Hugin@lemmy.world 71 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Occasionally in response to things like floods and other disasters. Though then it's usually local and short lived.

[–] BoobaAwooga@lemmynsfw.com 28 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

After reading the article it definitely sounds like power-grabbing, but I don’t know much about the Korean Democratic Party so I’m not sure

[–] actually@lemmy.world 26 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I read he is blocking the National Assembly building to avoid the martial law being lifted; both parties, including his, will vote to lift it should they get inside

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[–] AMoralNihilist@feddit.uk 21 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I think the only time martial law can be seen as reasonable is in an outright state of war. And even then, only when it's existential.

It's kind of inherently the antithesis of democratic values.

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[–] logicbomb@lemmy.world 65 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Yoon cited a motion by the country's opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in parliament, this week to impeach some of the country's top prosecutors and its rejection of a government budget proposal.

Imagine declaring martial law, and these were the only concrete reasons you could come up with.

[–] wildcardology@lemmy.world 28 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Donald Trump: hold my steak.

[–] perestroika@lemm.ee 47 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 children)

Update via Reuters: the president says he'll abide by the parliament's decision and revoke his declaration. Nobody started obeying it anyway - the military tried to do something because they had orders, but was not enthusiastic enough to achieve anything.

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/south-korea-president-yoon-declares-martial-law-2024-12-03/

Some analysis via the Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/03/declaration-of-martial-law-awakens-ghosts-south-koreans-thought-were-laid-to-rest

Yoon’s declaration of martial law appears to have been a desperate gamble in the face of rock-bottom public popularity – with positive ratings barely over 10% – in the midst of a doctors’ strike and staunch political opposition, increasingly including his own People Power party, whose leader, Han Dong-hoon, said the declaration of martial law was a “wrong move”.

Yoon may have thought that his nostalgia for authoritarianism would resonate with at least some of the South Korean political spectrum, but the unanimous vote in the national assembly to overturn his declaration, including by his own party, suggests he miscalculated.

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[–] JustJack23@slrpnk.net 36 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Who had south Korea becoming a fascist state?

Do I hear bingo from the back?

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 27 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

I'll be honest I had South Korean oligarch class does ridiculous cult shit and causes headlines. Does that count?

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[–] RadioFreeArabia@lemmy.world 17 points 2 weeks ago

Who had south Korea becoming a fascist state?

I don't read or speak Korean but maybe the president ran on making South Korea ~~Great~~ Fascist Again? South Korea only democratized in 1987.

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[–] not_that_guy05@lemmy.world 31 points 2 weeks ago (7 children)

We really are in WW3 we just haven't noticed it fully yet.

[–] dumbass@leminal.space 54 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

We're nearly at the end of the" Lead up to World War Three" chapter.

[–] themoonisacheese@sh.itjust.works 53 points 2 weeks ago

"Rising economic and social tensions in the West" heading on wikipedia

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[–] NOT_RICK@lemmy.world 29 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Not a good look, and I have a hard time seeing the people of South Korea accept this and just rolling over. Ugh.

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[–] Skyrmir@lemmy.world 23 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

I'm sure this will just be a misunderstanding that will be cleared up in no time. Let me know when that happens.

... I'll be in my bunker.

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[–] Gork@lemm.ee 18 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Should.. we be alarmed by this?

[–] catloaf@lemm.ee 27 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Not just yet. It sounds like it's him against the rest of the government. Hopefully he can be removed swiftly.

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[–] skillissuer@discuss.tchncs.de 16 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

can't they have a no-confidence vote?

[–] NOT_RICK@lemmy.world 26 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

He’s using the military to block legislators from making any vote to end this

[–] TheTechnician27@lemmy.world 30 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

It's honestly insane that these sorts of technicalities are even possible to block the vote. "I called dictatorshipsies and you weren't in the parliament building when you clearly, overwhelmingly said 'no', so I guess no takesies backsies." There probably ought to be some sort of provision in Korean law going forward that if it isn't possible to enter the parliament building, they can hold the vote elsewhere.

Edit: they have convened elsewhere.

Edit 2: unanimous vote to end martial law, 190–0.

[–] VonReposti@feddit.dk 21 points 2 weeks ago

Worth noting is that the unanimous vote includes members of the president's party (as far as I can see from skimming headlines. They're dropping fast...)

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