South Korea’s National Assembly ‘barricaded’ as protests erupt | World | News
South Korea plunged into chaos on December 3, with the country’s President declaring martial law in a late-night speech and reports of unrest outside of the National Assembly emerging.
Images from outside the parliament building appear to show protesters gathering in the area, with a large police cordon preventing people from entering the National Assembly.
Local media also claimed police buses were blocking the entrance to the building, the BBC reports.
Moreover, South Korean military reportedly announced the suspension of all parliamentary activity.
Express.co.uk was not immediately able to verify this.
Hours after the president’s speech, Yonhap News Agency reported the military entered the National Assembly Building and clashed with aides who resisted their orders.
Helicopters were also seen flying above the building.
Yoon Suk Yeol, the South Korean president, hit out at the opposition forces in his country, accused upon declaring martial law of controlling parliament.
He also claimed they sympathised with North Korea and said they were paralysing the government with anti-state activities.
South Korea’s main opposition party leader, Lee Jae-myung, has condemned the move, calling it unconstitutional.
He added” “Soldiers, the guns and bayonets you have, the power you have, comes from the people.
“The owners of this country are the people. The one you should obey is not Yoon Suk Yeol but the people.”
On a live stream, he also said: “There is no reason to declare martial law. We cannot let the military rule this country.
“President Yoon Seok Yeol has betrayed the people. President Yoon’s illegal declaration of emergency martial law is null and void.
“From this moment on, Mr. Yoon is no longer the president of South Korea.”
The situation in South Korea has already sparked reactions from governments abroad.
The Chinese Embassy told its citizens in the country to stay calm and asked them to “strengthen safety awareness, reduce unnecessary outings, express political opinions with caution and express political opinions with caution.”
