economic stability in East Asia.
This anti-communist idyll theme, has been shaken to the core after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, citing the need to combat North Korean threats and quell internal dissent.
Within hours, the controversial decree was reversed, following a massive public eruption and swift parliamentary intervention. However, the dramatic ‘coup’ attempt has left deep scars on South Korea’s political and social landscape, raising the issue that it is in fact just another US created police state.
In a televised address, President Yoon broadcast ‘a declaration heard around the world’, justifying his declaration of martial law, stating that it was necessary to protect South Korea from ‘communist forces’ and internal anti-state elements by shutting down the National Assembly.
His announcement sent shockwaves through the nation, triggering widespread mass protests by workers, as Yoon effectively suspended all parliamentary activity, while the military imposed a lockdown of the bourgeois democratic National Assembly.
In the hours that followed, scuffles erupted between police and protesters outside the parliament building, and the streets of Seoul saw an unprecedented mobilisation of riot police and armed military personnel.
‘My first thought was disbelief. How could this happen in South Korea?’ said Ra Ji-soo, a Seoul resident. Her sentiments were echoed by many who feared the country was veering dangerously close to fascist rule.
In fact the martial law announcement created a climate of fear and uncertainty across South Korea as reports continued that the military and the police had been issued with emergency mobilisation orders.
Seoul resident, Kim Mi-rim, recounted packing an emergency kit, fearing a repeat of past martial law crackdowns. ‘We’ve seen what martial law means in our history: arrests, imprisonments, and restrictions on freedoms,’ she said.
For others, the immediate economic repercussions of Yoon’s actions, including the immediate devaluation of the won, added to the distress.
Don Jung Kang, a small business owner, expressed frustration saying: ‘This is going to hurt small businesses like mine. Import costs will skyrocket, and the uncertainty will scare away investors.’
However workers swiftly mobilised against Yoon’s declaration, and lawmakers from the Democratic Party called on citizens to gather outside the National Assembly to protest against what they described as a direct assault on democracy. Chants of ‘No to martial law’ and ‘Strike down dictatorship’ echoed through the streets as hundreds of thousands of protesters rallied outside the parliament complex.
Despite the heavy police presence, opposition lawmakers managed to enter the building and voted to overturn the declaration in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Protester Juye Hong, a university student, described the chaos of the night. ‘It felt like a nightmare. My friends and I were frantically texting each other, trying to understand what was happening. There were rumours of soldiers and tanks in the city,’ she said.
The martial law crisis drew the immediate attention from the imperialist powers responsible for the Korean war that split the country into two.
NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, emphasised the alliance’s strong ties with South Korea, stating: ‘Our relationship with South Korea is key, and this episode will not change that.’
While South Korea is not a NATO member, its strategic importance as an ally in the Indo-Pacific region cannot be overstated. Analysts have already warned that such political instability could undermine South Korea’s role in global security and economic networks.
Yoon’s martial law declaration triggered a massive political backlash. ‘This was a misstep of catastrophic proportions,’ said Dr. Kim Seo-jun, a political scientist at Seoul National University. ‘Yoon’s actions have alienated both his supporters and critics. His presidency is now on life support.’
The overwhelming public sentiment has been one of outrage. The economic fallout from the martial law announcement has been immediate and severe. The South Korean won currency saw a sharp decline in value. Bourgeois investors have expressed scepticism about the country’s political stability, leading to a dip in the stock market.
South Korea’s political crisis deepened as lawmakers began moves to impeach both Yoon and Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who is reported to have played a key role in advising President Yoon Suk Yeol to impose martial law.
The way forward is to immediately begin unity talks between the two Koreas, North Korea and South Korea to establish a Korean Socialist Republic, and put an end to the attempt to create two Koreas for the benefit of US and UK imperialism!
