this post was submitted on 03 Dec 2024
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[–] [email protected] 21 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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[–] [email protected] 9 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.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Dude broke the first three laws of Couping. Control the lawmakers, control the core of the military, control the media. Win these and you control the narrative.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

So it was just a little try to get his country back to a dictatorship (with him at the top) because he was too unpopular.

There really should be laws that one must be psychically healthy to be parliament or president.

[–] [email protected] 7 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??

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago (17 children)
[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (12 children)

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

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

I've got to start reading Korean news

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

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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[–] [email protected] 4 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.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

Taking inspiration from Netanyahu I see.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 weeks ago

Standard authoritarian playbook, disgusting

[–] [email protected] 2 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.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

Or from USA, everyone they don't like is a russian asset

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

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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[–] [email protected] 3 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.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Donald Trump: hold my steak.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago
[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

And covfefe

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago (6 children)

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

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (2 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.

[–] [email protected] 4 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.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

As a Canadian, I can assure you everyone on the right considered it a corrupt, powergrab. Whether or not you agree is of course up to you, but it's not a clear sky case

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

but they'll say that no matter what won't they? Like the only way to convince the right something is not a powergrab is to let them have their way.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago

Of course everyone on the right didn't like it, because "Fuck Trudeau" is the extent of their political understanding. It was overkill in hindsight, but in the moment, with the capital paralyzed and armed terrorists in Coutts, some benefit of the doubt must be given.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 weeks ago

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

[–] [email protected] 2 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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[–] [email protected] 2 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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