The president of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, lifted martial law this Tuesday after the National Assembly rejected the controversial measure, decreed with the objective of “eradicating forces related to North Korea”
“The troops deployed under martial law have been withdrawn,” he stressed in a speech to the nation from the presidential residence in the Yongsan district of Seoul, according to the Yonhap news agency.
This comes after deputies voted against martial law in an extraordinary session held amid scenes of chaos both inside and outside the headquarters of South Korea’s main legislative body, shortly after the chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Park An Soo, considered any type of political activity cancelled.
The Constitution grants the president the power to declare martial law for “military needs” or to “maintain public security and order, but also stipulates that he must notify the Assembly of this decision. If Parliament so requires by majority, the president must back down, states article 77 of the Magna Carta.
