According to VNA, on the evening of December 3, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol convened a cabinet meeting to approve the decision to lift martial law. President Yoon's move came hours after the country's National Assembly passed a resolution requesting the lifting of martial law.
The South Korean cabinet approved the move to end martial law at 4:30 a.m. on December 4, about six hours after martial law was declared.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said soldiers deployed to enforce martial law have returned to base, restoring normalcy.
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| South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol (Photo: Reuters) |
President Yoon Suk-yeol said soldiers deployed to enforce martial law have returned to base in a move to restore normalcy.
“ At 11 p.m. last night, I declared martial law with the determination to defend the country against hostile forces that seek to paralyze the essential functions of the nation and the constitutional order of a free democracy.
“However, as the National Assembly requested the lifting of martial law, I withdrew the troops mobilized to enforce martial law. Martial law will be lifted immediately by accepting the National Assembly’s request through a meeting of the State Council (Cabinet), ” President Yoon Suk-yeol said in a statement.
The last time South Korea declared martial law was in 1979 after the assassination of President Park Chung-hee on October 26.
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| South Korean National Assembly Speaker Woo Woon Sik rapped the gavel to pass a resolution asking President Yoon to lift martial law – Photo: AFP |
According to a VNA correspondent in Seoul, Speaker of the National Assembly Woo Won-sik chaired the session and stressed that the declaration of martial law was beyond everyone's wishes. The National Assembly needs to take urgent measures to respond to this situation.
The plenary session of the South Korean National Assembly was attended by 190 lawmakers from the ruling and opposition parties. As a result, 100% of the lawmakers present unanimously approved the request to lift martial law.
The South Korean Constitution stipulates that martial law must be lifted immediately if requested by a majority of National Assembly members.
The Office of the National Assembly Chairman declared that martial law was “ineffective” after the resolution to lift martial law was passed.
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