Attempted coup in South Korea: What’s happening in Seoul right now

South Korea is often seen from the outside as a modern, liberal democracy and one of Asia’s cultural and economic powerhouses, so nobody suspected it would enter into a political crisis overnight.

It all began on December 2, when South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol appeared on national television for an unscheduled announcement to declare martial law to “crush anti-state forces that have been wreaking havoc”, as cited by the BBC.

Yoon accused the Democratic Party, the main opposition faction in the country, among other things of being sympathizers of North Korea and  working to undermine his government.

The South Korean President also called for military rule, with soldiers and police officers deployed in the National Assembly building.

However, a few hours later, it was apparent that what had been described as a coup attempt by Yoon had failed, forcing the President to rescind his decision.

The move was the first time martial law had been decreed by the Seoul government since the early 1980s, bringing to mind some of the darkest chapters of South Korean history.

Al Jazeera writes that thousands of South Korean citizens went out to the streets to protest, with the memory of the time when the military junta ruled the country still present.

However, despite the heavy military presence surrounding the South Korean legislature, violence didn’t erupt between them and protestors.

Meanwhile, South Korean lawmakers managed to go through the barricades and vote against the martial law.

In total, 190 South Korean lawmakers (out of 300) unanimously voted against the decree pushed by Yoon.

The legislative condemnation of martial law was not only voted by people of the Democratic Party, the country’s main opposition force, but also representatives from Yoon’s own People’s Power Party.

In the wake of the events, CNN reports that South Korea’s Minister of Defense, Kim Yong-hyun (center-right), presented his resignation after calls of impeachment for recommending the martial law.

According to CNN, six opposition South Korean political parties have introduced a bill to impeach Yoon, which will be voted later this week.

Never miss a story! Click here to follow The Daily Digest.