US “welcomes” South Korean President Yoon’s decision to lift martial law

The US on Wednesday welcomed South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s rescinding of the martial law declaration following the National Assembly’s unanimous vote to reject it.

In a statement issued by US State Department, the Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, emphasised the importance of resolving political disagreements peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law.

He also reiterated the US’s commitment to supporting the people of Korea and the enduring alliance between the US and South Korea, referring to the Asian country by its official name, “Republic of Korea (ROK).”

“The United States has watched closely developments over the last 24 hours in the Republic of Korea. We welcome President Yoon’s statement that he would rescind the order declaring emergency martial law in accordance with the ROK Constitution after the National Assembly’s unanimous vote to reject the declaration. We continue to expect political disagreements to be resolved peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law. We reaffirm our support for the people of Korea and the US-ROK alliance based on shared principles of democracy and the rule of law,” the statement read.

Earlier today, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced the removal of emergency martial law, following a vote by the National Assembly calling for its termination.

In the wee hours, Yoon’s cabinet approved a motion to end martial law enforcement, approximately six hours after Yoon had declared it on Tuesday in response to what he called “anti-state” activities by the opposition, which he claimed were “paralysing” the government, as reported by Yonhap News Agency.

According to the Yonhap News Agency, the Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea confirmed that troops deployed to enforce martial law had returned to their bases, signalling a return to normalcy.

President Yoon explained that the emergency martial law had been declared to protect the nation from anti-state forces attempting to disrupt its functioning and constitutional order. However, after the National Assembly demanded its repeal, he withdrew the troops.