Washington DC [US]: The United States has welcomed South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s decision to rescind the martial law declaration following the National Assembly’s unanimous vote to reject it.
In a statement issued by the US State Department, Secretary of State Antony Blinken highlighted the importance of addressing political disagreements peacefully and adhering to the rule of law. He also reiterated the US’s commitment to supporting the South Korean people and the enduring US-South Korea alliance.
“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, President Yoon Suk Yeol announced the withdrawal of the martial law declaration after the National Assembly passed a motion calling for its termination.
In the early hours of the day, Yoon’s cabinet approved a resolution to end martial law enforcement approximately six hours after it was declared. The declaration had been issued on Tuesday in response to what Yoon described as “anti-state” activities by the opposition, which he claimed were “paralysing” the government’s functioning.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea confirmed that troops deployed to enforce martial law had returned to their bases, marking a return to normalcy.
President Yoon explained that the emergency martial law was initially declared to safeguard the nation from forces he deemed disruptive to the constitutional order. However, following the National Assembly’s demand for its repeal, he rescinded the declaration and withdrew the troops.
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