South Korea parliament votes to lift martial law, military & police surround building

South Korea's National Assembly has voted to lift martial law, directly opposing an earlier declaration by the country's president Yoon Suk Yeol.

Rejected

The BBC, Guardian, and Reuters reported that the South Korean legislature voted 190 to 0 to lift martial law, out of 300 lawmakers.

The National Assembly building in Seoul is reportedly ringed by police and military personnel, with initial reports suggesting that they were to prevent parliamentarians from entering.

Despite this, 190 parliamentarians managed to enter the building, and voted in the early hours of Dec. 4, 2024 to repeal Yoon's declaration.

According to the Guardian, The National Assembly's Speaker Woo Won Shik's office released a statement saying that the National Assembly would "take appropriate measures in accordance with constitutional procedures."

Woo asked for citizens to "trust the national assembly and calm observe the situation", and for military and police forces to "remain calm and maintain their positions".

It is not clear what time the statement was issued.

190 - 0

At around 1:22 am (12:22 am SGT), the BBC reported that the vote had passed 190 - 0.

The proceedings were streamed live on YTN, and showed that the resolution was passed by all the parliamentarians present.

The opposition Democratic Party (DPK) has 175 seats out of 300, with the governing People Power Party (PPP) holding 100 seats.

Yonhap reports that according to the Korean constitution, martial law can be lifted if a majority of parliament demands it.

While Yoon is from the PPP, he is not its leader.

The PPP leader Han Dong Hoon has said that the declaration was "wrong" and has also vowed to stop it, according to the BBC.

So while a full sitting of parliament was not achieved, there were enough votes for a majority to be achieved.

The National Assembly chairman, Woon Won Sik, declared the imposition of martial law "invalid" after the vote, CNN reported.

No to martial law

But worries and uncertainty continue, with live feeds from Reuters showing crowds assembled outside the National Assembly complex gates.

The BBC reported that the crowds outside the complex were chanting "no to martial law", "strike down the dictatorship", and "open the gate".

The BBC also published pictures indicating that military forces had entered the parliament building, but with their ultimate purpose unknown.

Yoon's martial law declaration included the cessation of all political activity, including the National Assembly, although National Assembly lawmakers cannot be arrested by the martial law command.

Troops appear to be leaving National Assembly building

Following the vote, Chosun Ilbo (via CNN) reported that troops appeared to withdraw from the National Assembly building.

"Some forces are still waiting within the National Assembly grounds, though some appear to have set down their gear."

BBC also cited Yonhap as quoting Woon that troops were leaving the building.

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Top image via YTN/YouTube & tv02950/Tiktok