Calls demanding the resignation of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol are increasing after the leader ordered and reversed a martial law decree. The move sent shock waves across the country, sparking protests and violent exchanges with police and military.
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00:00Dramatic scenes in Seoul after South Korea's president abruptly declared martial law on
00:08the democratic country, an extreme move usually reserved for cases of national emergency.
00:30The leader did not cite any specific threat from the country's nuclear-armed northern
00:42neighbor, instead focusing on his political opponents from the Democratic Party.
00:47Yoon, who won the presidency two years ago by a narrow margin, said the opposition had
00:54taken hostage of the parliamentary process to throw the country into crisis, holding
01:00a majority of seats and blocking legislation.
01:04Political observers say Yoon's late-night martial law announcement was an attempt to
01:08overthrow the parliamentary process and break the political deadlock, the unexpected move
01:14causing chaos in the capital.
01:19Hundreds of demonstrators descended on parliament, clashing with police and military who surrounded
01:24the building, aiming to block lawmakers' access to the assembly hall.
01:29But more than half of the country's 300 legislators managed to get inside and voted unanimously
01:35to block Yoon's declaration of martial law.
01:47Just hours later, the president adhered, as required by the country's constitution.
02:05Military troops were ordered to stand down, and the night's events were seen as a triumph
02:09of democracy.
02:11But despite the reversal, Yoon's choice to implement such an extreme measure has only
02:16worsened his already poor standing with the public.
02:19The conservative leader's approval rating was barely at 20 percent, and he was widely
02:24seen as ineffective and divisive.
02:27Yoon's actions will also have big implications beyond the country's borders, expected to
02:32affect relations with the U.S. and the wider region.
02:36The United States has relied on South Korea and Japan as its most important allies in
02:41East Asia to combat threats from both North Korea and China.
03:08Two of Yoon's senior aides have now offered their resignation, and opposition leaders
03:12are calling for the president himself to step down.
03:33A demand echoed by protesters in Seoul, leaving the leader with not only a failed attempt
03:39to overthrow parliament, but an even deeper crisis that has his entire political career
03:45on the line.
03:46Dolphin Chen and Rosie Greninger for Taiwan Plus.