By Dmthoth - Wikipedia
South Korean lawmakers have passed significant amendments to the country’s martial law regulations, formally prohibiting any future attempts to obstruct parliamentary access to the National Assembly. The move comes in the wake of former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s controversial and short-lived martial law order in December 2024, which plunged the nation into a constitutional and political crisis.
The revised legislation, approved on Thursday, specifically bars military and police forces from entering the National Assembly premises without explicit approval from the assembly speaker. It also ensures that lawmakers cannot be prevented from entering the legislative chamber under any circumstances, following the extraordinary events of 3 December last year, when troops gathered outside the National Assembly and lawmakers had to scale the building’s walls to convene and overturn Yoon’s martial law decree.
Yoon, who was already embroiled in a series of political challenges — including a paralyzed legislature and mounting corruption scandals — declared martial law that evening, claiming it was necessary to protect South Korea from “anti-state” elements allegedly aligned with North Korea. However, critics pointed to a lack of credible evidence supporting such claims, and the move was widely condemned as a thinly veiled power grab.
The declaration triggered one of the most severe political crises in South Korea in decades, evoking memories of its pre-democratic era marked by military dictatorships. The country returned to democratic rule in the late 1980s after years of authoritarian governance, and Yoon’s declaration was seen as an alarming reversal of those gains.
In the aftermath, several senior officials from Yoon’s administration were removed from their posts and taken into custody for their involvement in the December martial law episode. Yoon himself was impeached, removed from office, and is currently standing trial on charges of insurrection.
The scandal fractured the ruling People Power Party, which quickly descended into internal disarray. In a snap presidential election held in June, opposition leader Lee Jae Myung secured a decisive victory and assumed office, marking a sharp political transition.
On Thursday, at a press conference in Seoul marking his first 30 days in office, President Lee signaled a shift in South Korea’s foreign policy direction. He stated that his administration would seek improved relations with North Korea — a stark contrast to Yoon’s hardline approach toward the regime in Pyongyang.
However, the country’s political divisions remain deep. When parliament voted to confirm Lee’s choice for prime minister on the same day, the People Power Party — now the main opposition — boycotted the session in protest, underlining the continuing rift between the ruling and opposition factions.
The revised martial law statute is seen by lawmakers as a critical safeguard against potential abuses of executive power, reinforcing democratic norms that many believe were threatened by last year’s events. The legislation’s passage signals a broader effort to restore institutional stability and public trust after months of political upheaval.
