South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has suddenly declared martial law. Military vehicles appeared on the streets of Seoul, and under his orders, political parties' activities were suspended. Security forces entered the parliament,

White House ‘monitoring’ South Korea after martial law declared The Biden administration had no immediate comment on the shocking announcement by unpopular President Yoon Suk Yeol.

South Koreans were shocked on Tuesday when President Yoon Suk Yeol said in an unannounced live TV broadcast that he was declaring martial law - then reversed course just hours later.

Soldiers wearing helmets and carrying long guns pushed back against people who tried to enter the National Assembly after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law late Tuesday, vowing to eliminate “anti-state” forces as he struggles against an opposition that controls the country’s parliament and that he accuses of sympathizing with communist North Korea.

Officials from the White House, Pentagon and State Department all said they were in close contact with their South Korean counterparts as they assessed the situation.

Under South Korean law, martial law can be lifted with a majority vote in the parliament, where the opposition Democratic Party holds a majority. When “the National Assembly requests the lifting of martial law, the President shall, without delay, do so and announce it,” the law states.

Yoon blamed the opposition party for “unprecedented” impeachment attempts of various government officials and cuts proposed for next year’s budget.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has declared an “emergency martial law," accusing the country's opposition of controlling the parliament and paralyzing the government with anti-state activities