S. Korea’s martial law lifted at cabinet meeting

This photo taken at Seoul Station in Seoul, South Korea on Dec. 3, 2024 shows a screen displaying South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol declaring an emergency martial law in a televised address. (Xinhua/Yao Qilin)
SEOUL, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) — South Korea’s emergency martial law, declared by President Yoon Suk-yeol Tuesday night, was lifted early Wednesday at a cabinet meeting after the parliament voted against it.
The motion to remove the martial law order was approved at an urgently convened cabinet meeting, according to multiple media outlets.
Before the meeting, Yoon said in a televised address that martial law troops were withdrawn as the National Assembly demanded the lifting of martial law, vowing to lift the martial law at a cabinet meeting to accept the parliamentary demand.
The president asked the National Assembly to stop paralyzing state affairs by trying to impeach government officials, slash the government’s budget for next year and launch a special prosecutor’s team for investigation into scandals involving the first lady.
Yoon declared the emergency martial law Tuesday night, marking the first martial law declaration since the country’s military dictatorship ended in the late 1980s.
The National Assembly held a plenary session, passing a resolution to lift the martial law with 18 lawmakers of the ruling People Power Party and 172 lawmakers of opposition parties in attendance and voting in favor.
In accordance with the constitution, the president should lift a martial law when the 300-member parliament demands the lifting with a majority of lawmakers voting in favor. ■