South Korean martial law forces entering National Assembly Proceeding Hall in Seoul on Dec 3, 2024. President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration sparked protests and public anger. Days and nights of protests followed in the chilly temperatures, with tens of thousands of people calling for Yoon to be removed from office. (PHOTO: Korean National Assembly)
Yoon Suk Yeol, the President of South Korea, was impeached by the National Assembly on December 14, 2024. This action came in response to Yoon’s declaration of martial law on Dec. 3, 2024, which was overturned by the National Assembly and officially withdrawn six hours later. On Dec. 3, Yoon declared martial law in South Korea, stating that martial law was necessary to defend the country from anti-state forces. Military and police forces attempted to prevent legislators from entering the National Assembly Proceeding Hall, causing clashes between the security forces, protesters, and legislative aides. All 190 legislators who were present in the chamber unanimously voted to demand the lifting of martial law, forcing Yoon to lift martial law on next morning.
The National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon, with 204 of 300 lawmakers supporting impeachment on Dec. 14. Former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo assumed the role of acting president pending the Constitutional Court’s decision on whether to remove Yoon from the Presidency. Han briefly served as acting president until he was also impeached on Dec. 27, making Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok acting president.
Background of 2024 Martial Law Crisis
Korea is governed as a presidential democracy under the 1987 constitution, which provides for a strong executive independent of the legislature. Yoon Suk Yeol, a member of the conservative People Power Party and former prosecutor general, took office as President of South Korea following his victory in the 2022 election.
Yoon has been criticized for far-right political views. His administration had low approval ratings, reaching as low as 17%, with 58% of the population in a November 2024 survey supporting either Yoon’s resignation or impeachment. He has struggled to achieve his agenda due to opposition from the National Assembly, controlled by the opposition Democratic Party since 2020. In the April 2024 legislative election, the opposition retained its majority but still lacked the two-thirds majority (200 out of 300) required under the constitution to impeach the President.
Yoon boycotted the opening of the National Assembly, even though it is customary for the president to deliver a speech at the event. Yoon has also opposed investigations into scandals involving his wife Kim Keon-hee and top officials, vetoing three separate bills that called for a special counsel investigation into his wife, the third occurring on Nov. 26, 2024.
On Dec. 2, the opposition-controlled parliament moved to impeach Board of Audit and Inspection Chair Choe Jae-hae and three prosecutors involved in two scandals surrounding Kim Keon-hee and rejected the government’s 2025 budget proposal.
During prosecution questioning, former DCC commander Lieutenant General Yeo In-hyung testified that President Yoon first mentioned “taking emergency action” to address “difficult social issues” in December 2023, which Yeo interpreted it as referring to the failed martial law. At the end of March 2024, President Yoon invited the then-Defense Minister Shin Won-sik, National Intelligence Service Director Cho Tae-yong, and Presidential Security Service Director Kim Yong-hyun for dinner and reportedly expressed his intention to “declare martial law soon.” At the dinner, Minister Shin and Director Cho expressed their opposition. Minister Shin, concerned about the implementation of martial law, called Director Kim and the then DCC commander Yeo in private right after the dinner to discuss blocking of any such moves. Yeo added that Yoon started mentioning martial law more often following the PPP’s defeat in the April 2024 legislative election. Eventually, Shin was shuffled out of the role of Defense Minister to become Director of the Office of National Security, while Kim Yong-hyun was selected to replace Shin in September 2024.
Prior to Martial Law Declaration
Morning of Dec. 3, former Army Maj. Gen. Noh Sang-won, former chief of the Defense Intelligence Command met with Defense Minister Kim at his official residence, for a meeting lasting 20 to 30 minutes. In the afternoon, Minister Kim instructed Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Park An-su, and five other military officials to report to his office at 21:30.
At 17:00, units of the ROK Army Special Warfare Command, including the 707th Special Mission Group, 1st Special Forces Brigade, and the 13th Special Mission Brigade received orders to prepare for operations at an isolated area. The 707th Special Mission Group received a message to prepare for conduct of a real-world operation by helicopter, and deployment on orders of Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun. They were told “The situation related to North Korea is serious”, though an anonymous official reported there had been no movements by the North Korean military.
At 18:20, Korean National Police Commissioner Cho Ji-ho reportedly received an order from the Presidential Office to “be on standby”. At a subsequent committee inquiry by the National Assembly, Cho claimed he had no knowledge of the martial law plan until its announcement. However, subsequent investigations revealed that Cho, and Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner General Kim Bong-sik met with Minister Kim and President Yoon at 19:00, and the two police officials were given a list of about 10 people to be arrested along with plans to occupy the National Assembly and National Election Commission via a martial law declaration at 22:00.
At 21:50, broadcasting networks received a message saying, “There will be an emergency government announcement, please connect to the live broadcast”. However, journalists covering the Presidential Office were barred from entering the briefing room, where such broadcasts are normally made.
Declaration of Martial Law
On Dec. 3, at 22:27, President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law during a televised address. In his declaration, Yoon accused the Democratic Party (DPK), which has a majority in the National Assembly, of conducting “anti-state activities” and collaborating with “North Korean communists” to destroy the country, thereby creating a “legislative dictatorship”. The order prohibited political activities, including gatherings of the National Assembly and local legislatures, and suspended the free press. Separately, Yoon reportedly ordered the arrest of various political opponents, including the leaders of the DPK and his own People Power Party. This event was widely characterized by Korean politicians and news organizations, both international and domestic, as an attempted self-coup.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was allegedly sidelined in the decision-making process leading up to the martial law declaration, and discussions were kept private between Yoon and Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun. Kim urged Yoon to enact martial law during a cabinet meeting shortly before the official declaration that ran from 22:17 to 22:22, in which a majority of the 19 cabinet members were “strongly against” the decision.
A defense ministry report obtained by DPK representative Bak Seung-a stated that around 1,580 troops, 107 military vehicles, 12 Black Hawk helicopters and more than 9,000 rounds of live ammunition were deployed for the implementation of martial law. MBC also reported that the military brought 4,980 blank ammunition rounds and 100 cartridges for stun guns throughout its mobilization for martial law, while 5,000 live ammunition rounds and some 3,000 blanks were deployed at the National Assembly alone.
Raid to Election Commission
After martial law was declared, armed troops raided the National Election Commission (NEC) headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province (10 troops), one of its training centers in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province (130 troops) and the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission in Gwanak District in southern Seoul (47 troops). NEC officials allegedly had their phones confiscated.
Several operatives from the Intelligence Protection Group of the DCC with firearms and uniforms that were missing unit insignias and patches raided the server room located on the second floor of the NEC headquarters while the Special Warfare Command troops and National Police officers from Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency provided perimeter security at the building. Lieutenant General Yeo In-hyung, head of the DCC, were behind the raid. Commander Yeo made a call to KNP Commissioner Cho Ji-ho about the NEC headquarters raid and Cho started supplying police forces for the troops.
From 22:48, martial law forces initially requested permission from the Capital Defense Command several times to allow helicopters to fly over restricted airspace to seize the National Assembly. However, approval was repeatedly rejected on the grounds that the purpose of the flights was unknown. Permission for the helicopter flights was only approved at 23:31. Twenty-four helicopter flights carried 240 troops to the National Assembly, until 01:18 the next morning.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency blocked all entrances to the National Assembly by 23:04 and prevented lawmakers from reaching the plenary session to overturn the martial law declaration. Lawmakers instead maneuvered around police barricades to enter the Assembly, with some assistance from civilians. At around 23:00, Lee Jae-myung live streamed himself climbing over a 1.5m fence to gain access, and Speaker Woo also had to climb a fence to enter the Assembly premises. Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform Party, was seen confronting police officers for obstructing lawmakers, but recounted later that some police officers appeared not to know what to do.
At 23:50, UH-60P Black Hawk military helicopters were seen approaching the grounds, prompting lawmakers and aides to build furniture barricades inside. Around 23:57, the 707th Special Mission Group appeared in front of the National Assembly Proceeding Hall, attempting to enter the building, leading to scuffles with aides and legislative staff who tried to prevent their entry. At 00:45, around 300 military personnel entered the National Assembly building, broke windows and attempted to enter the main hall, where Speaker Woo was about to begin the plenary session to revoke the martial law decree. In response, staff sprayed them with fire extinguishers and successfully stopped their entry. Some soldiers attempted to enter through the fourth floor, but were stopped by employees.
Soldiers broke the windows of several MPs’ offices, while injuries occurred during confrontations inside the building. Ultimately, the soldiers were unable to access the main session hall, whose entrances were barricaded using furniture installed by staff. At least three helicopters also landed on the Assembly grounds while two others were seen hovering above. Armored military vehicles were seen on the streets, while the martial law command also ordered the eviction of the Presidential Office press corps from its building in Seoul.
Martial Law Occurs Protests
Yoon’s martial law declaration sparked protests and public anger. MPs voted down the declaration, with many climbing fences and breaking barricades to enter the heavily guarded National Assembly to do so. Lawmakers across the political spectrum decried the move as unconstitutional. Even the then-leader of Yoon’s conservative People’s Power Party called it “wrong”. Days and nights of protests followed in the chilly temperatures, with tens of thousands of people calling for Yoon to be removed from office. “No martial law!” they chanted. “Strike down dictatorship!“
The announcement of martial law was met by surprise and panic amongst the South Korean public. Following the declaration, panic-buying occurred in convenience stores nationwide. Demand for Telegram and VPNs increased after disruptions to internet portal Naver prompted fears of government censorship, although Naver and Kakao attributed this to an increase in user traffic. The Ministry of Science and ICT said it had not received any requests related to martial law.
National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik announced he would convene a plenary session immediately to revoke the martial law order and called for all lawmakers to gather at the National Assembly.
All main parties, including the ruling People Power Party, opposed Yoon’s martial law declaration. PPP leader Han Dong-hoon said, “The president’s martial law declaration is wrong. We will stop it along with the people”. Seoul mayor Oh Se-hoon, a member of the PPP, also opposed the declaration. PPP floor leader Choo Kyung-ho said he only found out about the decree from the news. Controversially, Choo made an announcement to PPP legislators to report at party headquarters for a meeting instead of the National Assembly to vote down the martial law contrary to Han Dong-hoon and his faction, which led to allegations that he was colluding with Yoon’s martial law plot. The special counsel bill passed by the National Assembly a week later to investigate key figures of the martial law declaration included Choo as a subject for investigation.
Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the DPK, urged citizens to gather at the National Assembly and declared that “Yoon is no longer the president of South Korea”. Lee began live streaming on his YouTube channel around 22:50 as he traveled to the Assembly, telling 70,000 live viewers “There’s no justification for declaring martial law. We cannot let the military rule the country”. The Incheon branch of the DPK criticized the declaration as the beginning of an “Era of Yoon Dictatorship”. Rebuilding Korea Party leader Cho Kuk called the declaration of martial law “illegal” and said it met conditions for the impeachment of Yoon and Defense Minister Kim. Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform Party, called for Yoon to be expelled from the PPP, while Gyeonggi Province governor Kim Dong-yeon called for Yoon’s arrest. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the largest trade union group in the country, called for a general strike to reverse the declaration of martial law and impeach the president.
Former President Moon Jae-in addressed the military as a former commander-in-chief in a Facebook post, urging them to respect the will of the people, not to act against the National Assembly, and to adhere strictly to constitutional principles. He called on the military to focus on its legitimate duties, safeguarding national security without compromising democratic institutions.
A handful of conservative figures did support the decree, such as former prime minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who called for the arrest of both Woo Won-shik and Han Dong-hoon. The mayor of Daegu, Hong Joon-pyo, did not explicitly take sides, but said he understood “Yoon’s loyalty” while describing his actions as reckless and “making a scene”.
National Assembly Vote to End Martial Law
The National Assembly commenced the emergency session at 00:48 on Dec. 4. At 01:02, with 190 of 300 lawmakers present, they voted unanimously to lift martial law. Those who voted included 172 opposition MPs and 18 members of a PPP faction supporting Han Dong-hoon.
Following the vote, Speaker Woo Won-shik called for the military and police to leave the Assembly as “declaration of extraordinary martial law is now void” while reiterating that the president did not notify the National Assembly on implementing martial law as prescribed in the Constitution. Lee Jae-myung said that the DPK would remain in the Assembly until the president lifted martial law. Lee called for police and soldiers to return to their positions and not abide with Yoon’s “illegal act”. They were also joined by members of the PPP. The plenary session was only adjourned at 05:54 upon confirmation from the State Council that martial law had been withdrawn.
On Dec. 5, an anonymous special forces soldier told the media that the soldiers sent to the National Assembly only learned of the martial law declaration from the news. Other soldiers have said they were kept in the dark to varying degrees; most were not even told their destination until en route, and only given a specific mission after arrival. One said he felt betrayed by his superiors. Many were reluctant and deliberately slow in carrying out orders.
On Dec. 6, Lieutenant General Kwak Jong-keun, Chief of the Army Special Warfare Command, revealed during an interview by DPK legislators Kim Byung-joo and Park Sun-won, that the defense minister gave orders for troops to drag out the legislators, corroborating the earlier reports. Kwak said he prohibited giving live ammunition to individual soldiers as he witnessed “unjustified scenes” during the deployment, and added that “based on my judgment, dragging lawmakers out was clearly an illegal act” and he defied the orders, ordering the troops not to enter the plenary hall.
In addition, Brigadier General Lee Sang-hyun, commander of the 1st Special Forces Brigade confirmed that they were deployed to the National Assembly, with deployment of two battalions, consisting of about 250 soldiers in total. He confirmed that orders were given to remove the lawmakers using means such as breaking down doors or cutting electricity, while confirming that Kwak gave orders not to give live ammunition. On a subsequent inquiry by the National Assembly on 10 December with a huge delegation of military officers summoned for questioning by legislators, Kwak revealed that the president personally called him to demand “breaking open the door, and drag the lawmakers out” and further added that he was made aware of plans for martial law on 1 December, two days before the announcement. Kwak suggested that prosecutors in charge of investigating Yoon’s martial law declaration were framing their questions in a way that held former Defense Minister Kim accountable, and shift the blame away from President Yoon.
Impeachment of Yoon Suk Yeol
On Dec. 4, 190 legislators across six opposition parties – the DPK, Rebuilding Korea Party, New Reform Party, Progressive Party, Basic Income Party, and Social Democratic Party – submitted a motion for impeachment, intending to discuss the bill the following day; the DPK later planned a vote on Dec. 7. At a meeting with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo and PPP party leader Han Dong-hoon, Yoon stated that he would not resign and said there was “no wrongdoing” in his declaration, adding that he had done so as a “warning” to the opposition and to prevent the DPK’s “reckless impeachment actions”. Yoon also defended plans to arrest Han Dong-hoon for going to the National Assembly.
On Dec. 5, the PPP announced they would oppose impeachment, following an emergency meeting the previous evening. However, at an emergency meeting on Dec. 6, Han Dong-hoon said it was necessary to “promptly suspend Yoon Suk Yeol from his duties to protect the Republic of Korea”, citing that Yoon ordered the arrest and detention of key politicians during martial law, including Han himself. That same day, Cho Kyoung-tae voiced his support for Yoon’s impeachment, becoming the first MP from the PPP to do so.
On Dec. 7, Yoon apologized for declaring martial law, describing it as a product of desperation as the head of state and pledging that there would not be a second martial law declaration. He also pledged to entrust measures related to his term in office to the PPP. Lee Jae-myung called the apology “disappointing” and insisted on Yoon’s resignation or impeachment. He also criticized Yoon’s power-sharing arrangement with the PPP as “destroying the constitutional order”, while DPK Floor Leader Park Chan-dae called the arrangement a “second coup”. Later that day, the impeachment vote failed after only 195 lawmakers present of the 200 needed to impeach attended following a boycott by all but three MPs from the PPP. The decision led to massive public anger against the PPP, with a petition filed at the National Assembly website calling for the PPP’s dissolution obtaining more than 171,000 supporters, exceeding the 50,000 needed to have the proposal submitted to the standing committee.
On Dec. 14, the National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon, with 204 lawmakers, including 12 from the PPP, supporting impeachment. Yoon’s presidential powers were suspended immediately upon the delivery of the impeachment resolution to the Presidential Office. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo stepped in as acting President, and the impeachment motion proceeded to the Constitutional Court.
On Dec. 27, 192 MPs in the National Assembly voted to impeach Han Duck-soo for blocking investigations against Yoon and his wife, colluding with Yoon on martial law and blocking the appointment of justices to fill vacancies in the Constitutional Court. Despite being boycotted by the PPP, Han’s impeachment was made possible with a simple majority because Han was Prime Minister rather than the elected president, as announced by National Assembly speaker Woo Won-shik. This made Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok the new acting President.
Arrest of Yoon Suk Yeol
Yoon Suk Yeol was summoned three times by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) for questioning on December 18, 25 and 29 over his declaration of martial law. He ignored all three summonses. In response, on Dec. 30, the CIO filed an arrest warrant for Yoon at the Seoul Western District Court. On Dec. 31, the court issued the warrant, valid until Jan. 6, 2025. After the impeachment, Yoon sequestered himself in the presidential residence. On Jan. 1, he released a statement to his supporters pledging to “fight alongside you to the very end to protect this nation”. On Jan. 3, authorities tried to serve the warrant at the presidential residence but halted the attempt after being physically blocked by the Presidential Security Service. After the warrant expired on Jan. 6, the Seoul Western District Court extended the warrant the next day.
On January 14, 2025, South Korea’s constitutional court held the first hearing to determine if Yoon will be formally removed from office. The hearing was adjourned as it could not proceed without Yoon’s presence. On the morning of Jan. 15, Yoon was arrested at his residence where he had been since the impeachment. Police used wirecutters and ladders to enter Yoon’s residence in order to bypass barricades and barbed wire fortifications. After his arrest Yoon was brought to the Corruption Investigation Office (CIO), where he agreed to an interrogation.
Yoon was the country’s first sitting president to be arrested.
Foreign Perspective
Multiple countries have issued advisories urging caution, advising their citizens in South Korea to be vigilant and avoid public demonstrations. The White House and the United States Department of State said they were not given notice ahead of time of Yoon’s intention to declare martial law, while South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul refused to take calls from U.S. ambassador Philip Goldberg for the duration of martial law. State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel expressed “grave concern” for the ongoing developments while reiterating the United States’ “iron-clad” alliance with South Korea. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt M. Campbell called Yoon’s decision to impose martial law “badly-misjudged”. The White House later expressed relief at the lifting of martial law, as did United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said that NATO has warned North Korea not to take advantage of the situation. The United States Department of Defense said it had not received a request for military assistance from South Korea during the declaration of martial law, adding that there was no force posture change in the United States Forces Korea (USFK). USFK Commander General Paul LaCamera urged personnel and their families to “exercise individual vigilance”.
Despite having previously reported negatively on the Yoon administration on a regular basis, the state-controlled North Korean press did not report on the martial law declaration and its aftermath for a week after its declaration. Some South Korean analysts believed this was to avoid provoking cross-border tensions and encouraging resistance against the North Korean government.
On Dec. 11, North Korean state media released its first statements on the martial law declaration through an article published in the newspaper Rodong Sinmun, describing it as an “insane act” that was “akin to the coup d’état of the decades-ago military dictatorship era”. It also described the incident “revealed the weakness in South Korean society” and hinted at the end of Yoon’s political career. North Korea’s state TV described the incident as “chaos” and called the South a “fascist dictatorship”. On Jan. 3, 2025, North Korean state media said that South Korea was in “political chaos” amid ongoing attempts to arrest Yoon.★
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