martial law

January 21, 2025 5:38 PM

South Korea’s Yoon defends actions at impeachment hearing over martial law decree

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attended on Tuesday a Constitutional Court hearing of his impeachment trial where he denied ordering military commanders to drag lawmakers out of parliament during his short-lived bid to impose martial law. Near the start of the hearing, Yoon said he had worked in public service with "a firm commitment to free democracy", when invited by the acting chief justice, Moon Hyung-bae, to speak. Dressed in a navy-coloured suit with a burgundy tie, Yoon, a career p...

Police officers stand guard as people gather near the presidential residence to show support for impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol after the anti-corruption agency for high-ranking officials received a new court warrant to arrest Yoon, in Seoul, South Korea, January 8, 2025. Photo by Daniel Ceng/Anadolu via Getty Images/Files

January 15, 2025 4:30 PM

South Korean investigators question arrested President Yoon in insurrection probe

Impeached South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was arrested and questioned by authorities on Wednesday in relation to a criminal insurrection investigation, saying he was only cooperating with what he called an illegal probe to avoid violence. His arrest, the first ever for an incumbent South Korean president, is the latest head-spinning development for one of Asia's most vibrant democracies even though the country has a history of prosecuting and imprisoning former leaders. Since lawmakers vo...

January 3, 2025 10:51 AM

South Korean authorities fail to arrest impeached President Yoon due to security stand-off

South Korean authorities failed to arrest impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday over his martial law declaration, after evading a crowd of protesters outside his compound but coming to a standoff with presidential security forces inside. Yoon supporters gathered in the pre-dawn hours near the presidential residence, with the numbers swelling into the hundreds as they vowed to block any attempt to arrest Yoon. Officials from the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (...

December 31, 2024 10:52 AM

South Korea court issues arrest warrant for President Yoon

A South Korean court on Tuesday approved an arrest warrant for President Yoon Suk Yeol, who has been impeached and suspended from power over his decision to impose martial law on Dec. 3, investigating authorities said. The Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) confirmed the Seoul Western District Court approved the warrant requested by investigators examining Yoon's short-lived imposition of martial law. This is the first arrest warrant issued for an incumbent presid...

December 4, 2024 8:46 AM

America welcomes South Korean President Yoon’s decision to lift martial law

The US on Wednesday welcomed South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's rescinding of the martial law declaration following the National Assembly's unanimous vote to reject it. In a statement issued by US State Department, the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, emphasised the importance of resolving political disagreements peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law. He also reiterated the US's commitment to supporting the people of Korea and the enduring alliance between the US and South Ko...

December 3, 2024 11:03 PM

South Korea parliament rejects president’s martial law declaration

President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on Tuesday night in a move that stunned South Koreans and triggered a short-lived attempt by troops to enter parliament, as lawmakers and protesters quickly voiced opposition to the most serious challenge to the country's democracy since the 1980s. The speaker of parliament declared the martial law announcement invalid and lawmakers early on Wednesday voted to reject it. Yoon's move, which he cast as aimed at his political foes, was vocally opposed ...

December 3, 2024 10:42 PM

South Korea President Yoon declares martial law

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday declared martial law in an unannounced late night address broadcast live on YTN television, claiming he would eradicate "shameless pro-North Korean anti-state forces". It is the first time since 1980 that martial law was declared in South Korea. Yonhap news agency cited the military as saying 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 d...