In a surprise move, South Korean President Yun Suk-geol declared martial law in the country. He argued that this measure is necessary to “protect the country from the communist forces” and accused the opposition of colluding with North Korea.
Martial law refers to temporary rule by military authorities during a period of emergency when civilian authorities are unable to rule.
See also: South Korea – Martial Law: Presidential ‘fires’ for ‘anti-state activities’ – How the opposition is reacting
The implementation of martial law can have legal implications, such as the suspension of ordinary civil rights and the extension of martial law.
Martial law is, in theory, temporary, but it can continue indefinitely.
Tensions and the “balloon war”
South and North Korea are still technically at war after a three-year conflict that ended with an armistice in 1953.
In recent months, tensions have risen over North Korea sending garbage balloons to the South, which Pyongyang says are a response to balloons carrying surrogate leaflets sent by activists in the South.
In another incident that took place in mid-October, the North Korean military destroyed with explosives sections of roads that were once used for cross-border exchanges with South Korea.
“North Korea blew up parts of Gyeonggi and Donghae roads north of the military demarcation line,” the South Korean military’s general staff said, using official terminology for the border between the two Korean states.
In response, South Korean forces launched “retaliatory fire” on its soil, the statement continued, without elaborating further.
A few weeks later, South Korea’s Army General Staff said North Korean operations to manipulate GPS signals had been detected around the western border city of Kaesong and the nearby city of Haeju, noting that the activities disrupted the traffic of dozens of civilian aircraft and several ships.
However, he did not specify how North Korea was interfering with GPS signals, nor did he detail the extent of the disruptions.
#South #Korea #martial #law #declared #Yoon #Sukgeol
