South Korea's president just declared "emergency martial

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Apparently South Korea is popping off…

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in an unannounced late-night TV address, saying the move was necessary to protect the country from ‘communist forces.’

‘To safeguard a liberal South Korea from the threats posed by North Korea’s communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements… I hereby declare emergency martial law,’ Yoon said in a live televised address to the nation.

Like any good man, I love sticking it to the godless commies, but martial law is an extreme measure.

So what led to that measure?

Yoon claimed that there were imminent threats to South Korea posed by North Korean sympathizers within the government. Yoon’s opposition, the Democratic Party, controls parliament and has pushed to impeach top prosecutors and stalled crucial government budget proposals. Yoon is accusing these opponents of doing these things to overturn South Korea’s democracy and constitution.

At the moment, there’s very little information available to explain if there was a larger national security threat to warrant such a move.

It should be noted that outlets like The Korea Times said rumors that Yoon was preparing to declare a coup in order to cement his own power were “conspiracy theories.” From an op-ed in September:

Recent comments and accusations suggesting that the Yoon Suk Yeol administration may be creating a situation to declare martial law have reignited interest in the topic within South Korea. Conspiracy theorists and some politicians have gone as far as to accuse the administration of plotting a ‘palace coup,’ citing the appointment of key figures, such as the new minister of national defense, the head of military intelligence and other military leaders who share the same alumni network as President Yoon.

Martial law makes Yoon the nation’s supreme military commander and restricts the freedoms of speech and assembly. Considering the close ties that South Korea has with the U.S. as a strategic partner in protecting against communist-led China and North Korea, we’re waiting to see what kind of reaction/pressure that Washington will exert over the situation.