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South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared an "emergency martial law" on Tuesday, accusing the opposition of undermining the government by sympathizing with North Korea and engaging in anti-state activities that have paralyzed the country's parliament.
The announcement of martial law marks a dramatic escalation in the ongoing political conflict between the South Korean president and the opposition, with significant implications for the country's governance and political landscape.
Yoon, a former prosecutor, lashed out at the opposition-controlled parliament, accusing it of slashing key budgets needed to combat drug crimes and maintain public security. "They are turning the country into a drug haven and creating a state of public safety chaos," Yoon said in a statement.
Labeling opposition members as "anti-state forces intent on overthrowing the regime," Yoon declared martial law "inevitable to guarantee the continuity of a liberal South Korea." He insisted that the move would not impact the country's foreign policy.
"I will restore the country to normalcy by getting rid of anti-state forces as soon as possible," Yoon said, offering few details about the scope of the martial law, other than its immediate imposition.
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Yoon described South Korea as being "on the verge of collapse, with the National Assembly acting as a monster intent on bringing down liberal democracy."
Under the emergency law, military units in the South have been ordered to heighten their emergency alert and readiness postures, according to the Yonhap news agency. The South remains technically at war with its nuclear-armed northern neighbor.
Access to the National Assembly has been blocked, and members of parliament have been barred from entering, Yonhap reported.
The dramatic move follows a sharp decline in Yoon's approval rating, which dropped to 19% last week in a Gallup poll. Critics have voiced growing dissatisfaction over his handling of the economy and controversies surrounding his wife, Kim Keon Hee.
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