South Korean parliament votes to block martial law declaration after clashes with police: Live updates

South Korea president Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on Tuesday night in a move that stunned the country.

It triggered a short-lived attempt by troops to enter parliament, as lawmakers and protesters quickly voiced opposition to the most serious challenge to the country’s democracy since the 1980s.

Below, we have a quick explainer on what martial law means and its history in South Korea.

The decree is usually invoked during times of war, rebellion or natural disasters, and affords unlimited authority to the military commander to make and enforce laws.

It suspends all existing laws. This means there can be a suspension of traditional civil rights; in Ukraine, for example, where martial law has been in place since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukrainian national and dual-national males aged 18 to 60 are prohibited from leaving the country.

The use of military law is introduced instead.

It has not been deployed in South Korea since the country’s democratisation in 1987.

US deputy secretary of state Kurt Campbell said the Biden administration was watching the developments in South Korea with “grave concern”.

“We have every hope and expectation that any political disputes in South Korea will be resolved peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law,” Mr Campbell said on Tuesday at an event at the US state department.

Following the vote to overturn the declaration of martial law, National Assembly speaker Woo Won Shik said in a statement, “the declaration of martial law is invalid”, according to Korean news outlet JoongAng Daily.

The news outlet reported he then asked soldiers and police who entered the building to immediately leave.

Reuters has photographed images that reportedly show staff of the main opposition, Democratic Party, barricading a door to block military at the National Assembly, while other images show armed soldiers advancing to the main parliamentary building.

A large military presence can be seen from photographs taken at the scene of the national parliament in Seoul, where 190 members earlier voted to overturn the president’s declaration of martial law.

Soon after the declaration, the National Assembly speaker called in an emergency statement released on his YouTube channel for all lawmakers to gather at the National Assembly. He urged military and law enforcement personnel to “remain calm and hold their positions.”

British nationals in South Korea should monitor the Foreign Office’s advice after the country’s president declared martial law, Downing Street has said.

Asked about the developing situation in South Korea, a Number 10 spokesman said: “That is a very fast-moving situation and, as you would expect, we are closely monitoring developments in South Korea.

“We would advise all British nationals to monitor the UK’s travel advice for updates and follow the advice of local authorities.”

The Foreign Office’s travel advice was updated on Wednesday, warning UK nationals to “follow the advice of local authorities and avoid political demonstrations”.

Protesters are chanting outside the main gate of the National Assembly, where the opposition-majority parliament voted to overturn the president’s drastic measures in an early morning sitting.

South Korea’s parliament have voted to block the president’s martial law declaration in the early hours of Wednesday morning after lawmakers and parliamentary staff were let into the building about 1am.

The vote came as crowds protested outside the main gate of the National Assembly in response to the declaration by Yoon Suk Yeol.

It isn’t immediately clear how long the martial law declaration will stand. Under South Korean law, martial law can be lifted with a majority vote in the parliament, where the opposition Democratic Party holds a majority. Han Dong-hoon, the chair the People Power Party – which the president belongs to – called the decision to impose martial law “wrong” and vowed to “stop it with the people.”

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, called Yoon’s announcement “illegal and unconstitutional.” Yoon — whose approval rating has dipped in recent months — has struggled to push his agenda against an opposition-controlled parliament since taking office in 2022. Yoon’s party has been locked in an impasse with the liberal opposition over next year’s budget bill.

The opposition has also been attempting to pass motions to impeach three top prosecutors, including the chief of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office, in what the conservatives have called a vendetta against their criminal investigations of Lee, who has been seen as the favorite for the next presidential election in 2027 in opinion polls. Yoon has also been dismissing calls for independent investigations into scandals involving his wife and top officials, drawing quick, strong rebukes from his political rivals.

The declaration – the first of its kind in more than three decades – contains several prohibitions against political activities, “fake news”, strikes, and other industrial activity. It warns violators of the conditions will be arrested. Below is a Reuters translation of the military decree.

“In order to protect liberal democracy from the threat of overthrowing the regime of the Republic of Korea by anti-state forces active within the Republic of Korea and to protect the safety of the people, the following is hereby declared throughout the Republic of Korea as of 23:00 on December 3, 2024:

1. All political activities, including the activities of the National Assembly, local councils, and political parties, political associations, rallies and demonstrations, are prohibited.

2. All acts that deny or attempt to overthrow the liberal democratic system are prohibited, and fake news, public opinion manipulation, and false propaganda are prohibited.

3. All media and publications are subject to the control of the Martial Law Command.

4. Strikes, work stoppages and rallies that incite social chaos are prohibited.

5. All medical personnel, including trainee doctors, who are on strike or have left the medical field must return to their jobs within 48 hours and work faithfully. Those who violate will be punished in accordance with the Martial Law.

6. Innocent ordinary citizens, excluding anti-state forces and other subversive forces, will be subject to measures to minimize inconvenience in their daily lives.

Violators of the above proclamation may be arrested, detained, and searched without a warrant in accordance with Article 9 of the Martial Law Act of the Republic of Korea (Special Measures Authority of the Martial Law Commander), and will be punished in accordance with Article 14 of the Martial Law Act (Penalties).

Images are emerging of police clashing with protestors outside the National Assembly in Seoul as crowds gather outside the country’s parliament after president Yoon Suk Yeol has declared martial law.

Photos coming in from news services at the scene also show soldiers preparing to enter the building in a rapidly evolving situation following the president’s late-night declaration.