South Korean president declares emergency martial law, accusing opposition of anti-state activities

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on Tuesday in an unannounced late night TV address in which he accused opposition parties of sympathizing with North Korea and controlling parliament.

“I declare martial law to protect the free Republic of Korea from the threat of North Korean communist forces, to eradicate the despicable pro-North Korean anti-state forces that are plundering the freedom and happiness of our people, and to protect the free constitutional order,” Yoon was quoted by Reuters as saying on the country's YTN news channel.

Yoon did not specify how martial law — a temporary rule by military authorities in a time of emergency, when the civil authorities are deemed unable to function — would affect governance and democracy in the country which is a key U.S. ally in the region.

There have been no reports of tanks or soldiers on the streets in the capital Seoul or elsewhere in the country.

It is the first time since 1980 that martial law has been declared in South Korea.

The Korean won fell sharply against the U.S. dollar after the announcement.

Yoon’s conservative government took office in 2022, but he has struggled to push through his agenda against an opposition-controlled parliament and his approval rating has nosedived in recent months due to various controversies.

His People Power Party has clashed with the liberal opposition Democratic Party, which has a majority in parliament, over next year’s budget. The Democratic Party have also pushed to impeach some of the country’s top officials.

Han Dong-Hoon, the head of Yoon’s party, has vowed to block the declaration, according to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency.

The agency also reported that the country's defense minister has ordered a meeting of key commanders and called for tightened vigilance. 

Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung said martial law will cause the country to “collapse irretrievably,” and called on citizens to come to the National Assembly.

“Tanks, armored personnel carriers, and soldiers with guns and knives will rule the country,” Lee Jae-myung, leader of the opposition Democratic Party, which has the majority in parliament, quoted by Reuters as saying.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for developments.