Why did South Korea declare martial law, what’s next for President Yoon?

In a astonishment late-night code connected Tuesday, South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol announced the imposition of martial law, citing a question by the main absorption Democratic Party, which holds a parliamentary majority, to impeach apical prosecutors and cull a authorities fund proposal.

But little than 2 hours after the martial instrumentality declaration, lawmakers forced their mode past soldiers to ballot to onslaught down his decree. Yoon accepted the reversal six hours later.

Here is what we cognize astir the governmental impasse:

What happened successful South Korea connected Tuesday?

In an unscheduled televised code astatine astir 11pm (14:00 GMT), Yoon declared martial law, accusing the Democratic Party of sympathising with North Korea and engaging successful antistate activities.

His decree concisely handed power to the military, deploying troops and constabulary to the National Assembly building, wherever helicopters were spotted landing connected the roof.

South Korean politicians swiftly condemned Yoon’s declaration arsenic amerciable and unconstitutional. Opposition person Lee Jae-myung urged Democratic Party MPs to stitchery and ballot to cull the declaration.

Thousands took to the streets, but tensions did not springiness mode to unit contempt the subject presence. Lawmakers managed to bypass the barricades, and erstwhile they arrived astatine the chamber, they unanimously voted to artifact the decree during an exigency late-night session, with 190 of South Korea’s 300 National Assembly members present.

At astir 4:30am (19:30 GMT), Yoon said helium would reverse his decision. He confirmed successful a connection that the troops sent to transportation retired the bid would beryllium withdrawn, but helium repeated his archetypal justification for the decree.

Protesters clash with constabulary officers during a objection calling for the resignation and impeachment of President Yoon extracurricular the National Assembly [Han Myung-Gu/EPA]

What is martial law?

Martial instrumentality is simply a impermanent signifier of governance by subject authorities during emergencies.

South Korea’s constitution states that the president tin state martial instrumentality erstwhile indispensable to code a subject menace oregon support nationalist information and bid by deploying subject forces.

According to the Center for Strategies and International Studies (CSIS), Yoon invoked exigency martial law.

By declaring emergency martial law, Yoon has the authorization to “[limit] state of speech, publication, assembly, and association,” according to the CSIS.

In this instance, the bid placed each media outlets nether martial instrumentality power and instructed each aesculapian personnel, including striking doctors, to resume enactment wrong 48 hours.

Thousands of doctors person been connected strike successful South Korea since aboriginal February implicit a connection to summation aesculapian schoolhouse admissions, forcing hospitals to cancel treatments and surgeries. The authorities says the reforms are needed to alleviate unit shortages and negociate the country’s modulation to an ageing society.

Youngshik Bong, a visiting prof astatine Yonsei University and advisor for South Korea’s Ministry of Unification, said declarations of martial instrumentality nether Article 77 of the constitution indispensable beryllium reserved for the astir superior situations, specified arsenic existent war.

“But we [didn’t] person this situation,” Youngshik told Al Jazeera. “This is not a crippled the president tin win.”

A South Korean tourer watches a Japanese TV broadcast connected a telephone showing President Yoon declaring martial instrumentality successful a televised exigency code [Jeon Heon-Kyun/EPA]

Why did Yoon state martial law?

The declaration of martial instrumentality comes aft months of declining nationalist support, with a survey past week revealing Yoon’s support standing had fallen to conscionable 25 percent.

In his declaration, helium focused connected his home governmental opponents and did not mention immoderate circumstantial menace from North Korea. He complained of 22 impeachment motions filed against medication officials since helium took bureau successful May 2022.

Since taking bureau successful 2022, Yoon has faced challenges successful advancing his docket successful an opposition-controlled parliament. His enactment is present locked successful a deadlock with the wide absorption implicit adjacent year’s budget.

Yoon has besides rejected calls for autarkic investigations into scandals involving his woman and elder officials, generating disapproval from his governmental opponents.

South Korea’s National Assembly aft President Yoon announced his volition to assistance the exigency martial instrumentality [Han Myung-Gu/EPA]

Could Yoon look impeachment now?

A radical of lawmakers from absorption parties said they program to present a measure to impeach Yoon connected Wednesday, with the ballot expected wrong 72 hours.

The National Assembly tin impeach the president if much than two-thirds of lawmakers ballot for it.

The Democratic Party, on with immoderate smaller parties, holds 192 seats, conscionable 8 abbreviated of the 200 needed to impeach the president.

Some members of Yoon’s People Power Party besides powerfully opposed his martial instrumentality declaration. It remains unclear however many, if any, volition articulation the absorption if a question is enactment to a vote.

Democratic Party person Lee Jae-myung (C) announces his stance astatine the National Assembly successful Seoul [Yonhap via EPA]

If the impeachment is voted connected and approved, a proceedings volition beryllium held earlier the Constitutional Court, a nine-member assemblage that oversees South Korea’s authorities branches. If six of the court’s members ballot to uphold the impeachment, the president volition beryllium removed from office.

Earlier this morning, Yoon’s unit offered to resign en masse, though the president has not yet made immoderate nationalist appearance.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, 1 of the country’s largest labour organisations, besides called for a onslaught until Yoon’s resignation.

“Normally, they don’t really enactment successful politics,” Alex Taek-Gwang Lee, a prof of taste studies astatine Kyung Hee University successful Seoul, told Al Jazeera. “This volition accelerate the impeachment movement. And past I deliberation Mr Yoon volition beryllium impeached soon.”

Yoon was inaugurated arsenic president of South Korea connected May 10, 2022.

What happens if Yoon leaves office?

The premier curate volition service arsenic the acting leader. A caller predetermination indispensable beryllium held wrong 60 days.

In the adjacent hours, much protests are expected.

What person been the reactions?

Inside the country, protests erupted arsenic South Koreans besides began stockpiling supplies. Local media reports bespeak that the terms of canned goods surged by 300 percent and instant noodles by 250 percent betwixt 11pm (14:00 GMT) and midnight (15:00 GMT). Sales of water, instant atom and batteries besides saw a important increase, according to a study by the Reuters quality agency.

Internationally, the White House said it was “relieved” by Yoon’s determination to reverse martial law.

Earlier, the United Kingdom and Germany said they were intimately pursuing the events. Meanwhile, Russia said it was acrophobic astir the situation successful South Korea. China urged its citizens successful South Korea to workout caution.