What's going on in Korea?

[Uncle fester]

Martial law has been declared.

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cn3832118 ... 64590#post

[Biffer]

A bit out of the blue isn't it?

[epwc]

Fuck

[fishfoodie]

Sounds a bit Coup'ish.

[tabascoboy]

Sounds like the President taking a desperate move to save his own neck with a classical distraction move?

Yoon has been a lame duck president since the latest general election when the opposition won a landslide in parliament.

He was not able to pass the laws he wanted, instead, he was reduced to vetoing desperately any bills that the opposition had been passing.

Yoon is also mired in several scandals, mainly one around his wife, who is accused of corruption. She is also accused of influence peddling. The opposition has been trying to launch a special investigation against her.

This week, the opposition slashed budgets that the government and ruling party had put forward - and the budget bill cannot be vetoed.

In the same week, the opposition is moving to impeach cabinet members, mainly the head of the government audit agency, for failing to investigate the first lady.

Yoon has gone for the nuclear option - he claims it is to restore order when "anti-state" forces he says are trying to paralyse the country.

[Guy Smiley]

Sounds a bit Coup'ish.

Not quite that exciting. Sounds more like the sitting President, outnumbered by the opposition and unable to pass legislation while dogged by stories of his corrupt wife, has fearlessly decided to defend his nation from the evil forces of the North who have infiltrated the south and threaten security and stability. The leader of his own party says it's the wrong move and his heading down there now to smack his arse.

[Biffer]

Sounds a bit Coup'ish.

Not quite that exciting. Sounds more like the sitting President, outnumbered by the opposition and unable to pass legislation while dogged by stories of his corrupt wife, has fearlessly decided to defend his nation from the evil forces of the North who have infiltrated the south and threaten security and stability. The leader of his own party says it's the wrong move and his heading down there now to smack his arse.

Yeah, looks like both sides of parliament and the public are saying 'nope' with the military cunningly sitting in the corner going 'sorry, what? Didn't hear you, what was that? Oh, did you say something?'

[SaintK]

Sounds a bit Coup'ish.

Not quite that exciting. Sounds more like the sitting President, outnumbered by the opposition and unable to pass legislation while dogged by stories of his corrupt wife, has fearlessly decided to defend his nation from the evil forces of the North who have infiltrated the south and threaten security and stability. The leader of his own party says it's the wrong move and his heading down there now to smack his arse.

Yeah, looks like both sides of parliament and the public are saying 'nope' with the military cunningly sitting in the corner going 'sorry, what? Didn't hear you, what was that? Oh, did you say something?'

Fair summary

[Biffer]

Military seem to be sitting on the fence. Soldiers reportedly have left the parliament building but they say the state of martial law can only be lifted by the President. Not much reported presence on the street?

[Biffer]

Also, it seems that now parliament has passed a motion insisting that martial law should be lifted, the president must, by law, lift martial law. So if he doesn’t, he’s acting unlawfully and can be arrested / removed?

[Hellraiser]

Also, it seems that now parliament has passed a motion insisting that martial law should be lifted, the president must, by law, lift martial law. So if he doesn’t, he’s acting unlawfully and can be arrested / removed?

The Korean constitution states that if parliament votes to lift martial law the president is obliged to to do so. So not just unlawful, but unconstitutional too.

[sturginho]

Well that was fun while it lasted. Shirley his position is untenable now?

[Hal Jordan]

What if we held a coup and nobody came?

[fishfoodie]

Well that was fun while it lasted. Shirley his position is untenable now?

It was untenable before; it's now about whether or not the put him against a wall & shoot him first, or have a trial to put him in gaol for 40 years first, & then shoot him ?

[Biffer]

Speculation in the media about how this demonstrates instability and North Korea will take advantage.

I choose to take another point of view - that this episode proves that South Korea is a resilient democracy that can resist a rogue president abusing his position and acting outside his authority to bypass democratically elected representatives.

[Biffer]

Loads of pics of the troops who were at parliament and other areas doing the rounds that show them with no magazines in their pistols, or marked dummy cartridges / training blanks in rifles. Going through the motions.

[Uncle fester]

Speculation in the media about how this demonstrates instability and North Korea will take advantage.

I choose to take another point of view - that this episode proves that South Korea is a resilient democracy that can resist a rogue president abusing his position and acting outside his authority to bypass democratically elected representatives.

Would agree with that. Consider what happens in strong man regimes when the top guy dies.