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This article is by Lee Soo-jung and read by an artificial voice.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Friday urged all Cabinet members and public officials to remain vigilant and fulfill their duties at all times to protect public safety and national security.
Han asked Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok "to unite all officials serving in the economic sector and minimize the repercussions of martial law and the current situation on the national economy."
He also directed Vice Defense Minister and Acting Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho to strengthen security measures and maintain a defense readiness capable of countering any North Korean provocations.
Additionally, Han asked Education Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Lee Ju-ho to take steps to stabilize public life, ensuring the smooth operation of education, welfare and social security systems, said the Office for Government Policy Coordination.

This article is by Jeong Hye-jeong, Kim Jee-hee and read by an artificial voice.

People Power Party (PPP) lawmakers are receiving thousands of text messages from the public urging them to support the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol.
The impeachment motion is set to be put to a vote on Saturday, according to an announcement by the opposition Democratic Party (DP) Thursday.
On Thursday, phone numbers of PPP lawmakers were shared on social media, including X, with posts reading: "Let's start a collective action and send text messages to PPP lawmakers so that they can vote for impeachment."
Other social posts read: "Let's show the power of voters in the country with text messages against the ruling party that can't even ask the President to leave the party despite his actions."
"I never thought I'd send a text message to a lawmaker."
A program that automates the process of sending text messages to lawmakers also circulated online.
If users enter the link created by the umbrella labor union Korea Confederation of Trade Unions, they can see the list of names of PPP lawmakers. They only need to press the names of lawmakers to send pre-saved text messages to them.
A user of the program left a comment online saying, "It only took six minutes to send text messages to 108 lawmakers."
Rep. Shin Sung-bum of the PPP uploaded a Facebook post on Thursday saying, "Please understand if I don't take calls for several days," with a screen capture image of more than 4,000 text messages bombarding his phone.
Shin described the image as a screen capture of his phone at 10:50 a.m. Thursday, with text messages continuing to pile up as if a taxi meter were running.
Rep. Lee Jun-seok, former leader of the PPP and now a Reform Party lawmaker, asked to stop sending text messages containing images of knives and swear words in a social post Thursday, saying people are participating in the collective action without proper information.
"All of our party members have already agreed to file the impeachment motion and completed signing," Lee said. "Whoever instigated this based on false information is pathetic."
The Reform Party joined liberal parties, including the Democratic Party and Rebuilding Korea Party, on Wednesday and proposed the impeachment motion together with them.
For the motion to pass, two-thirds of the 300 lawmakers in the National Assembly need to vote for it. Currently, the opposition parties control 192 seats.
The movement to impeach the president quickly gained steam after Yoon declared martial law Tuesday night in a surprise announcement. The martial law was quickly lifted overnight as lawmakers gathered and voted against its enforcement at 1 a.m. Wednesday.

This article is by Kim Ji-ye and read by an artificial voice.

Netflix's upcoming reality show, "Rugged Rugby: Conquer or Die," set to debut on Dec. 10, aims to "try" and "convert" its Korean viewers into enthusiastic rugby fans.
Rugby, a lesser-known sport in Korea, has only 15 teams in the country - four teams sponsored by conglomerates, 10 university teams and a military team. It also has only one league, organized by the Korea Rugby Union, with no prize money. Yet, the players' passion struck producer Chang Si-won, which led him to plan this program.
"When I first saw a rugby game in Korea, I didn't know how to explain it, but it was like meeting a new world," producer Chang said during the show's press conference held in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on Thursday. "The day I saw the game, about five players were carried off the field, which truly shocked me. But I noticed that this was an everyday thing for the players."
"I began wondering what drives the players to give everything during the game, even though there isn't any prize money. This drew me into the sport and was the first time I wanted to tackle it," he continued. "I wanted to show others the shocking and entirely new world I had experienced."
Produced by Chang, who took the helm of JTBC's popular baseball reality program "A Clean Sweep" (2022-), and Choi Tae-gyu, the show sheds light on rugby and follows the battles between seven rugby teams as they vie to win the competition.
There are 14 episodes. The first four will be released on Dec. 10.
The seven teams are Kepco Rugby, Hyundai Glovis Rugby Team, Posco ENC, OK Savings Bank Okman Rugby Club, Korea Armed Forces Athletic Corps, Korea University and Yonsei University.

Capturing the sounds during the battles between players was something that the producer put much thought into based on his experience, saying it was the "key" of the show.
"During my first rugby game, the sound was what shocked me more than the actual things I saw," producer Chang said. "The sound of bones crashing together and bodies colliding gave me chills."
"Most rugby broadcasts tend to focus on the visuals, but what struck me the most, and what I found truly chilling, was the sound, and I really want to convey that experience."
As a result, the team created customized microphones for each player's body that do not disrupt their focus during games.
Also, 140 cameras were used in the production, an unprecedented number in Korea's rugby broadcasting scene. Typically, only one camera is used to broadcast matches, and sometimes up to three, which is already considered a lot, according to the producer.
"We set up 40 broadcast cameras and 100 stationary cameras to ensure we didn't miss a single moment," producer Chang said. "I believed that capturing every instant without missing anything was crucial."

While showcasing the passionate players, announcer Jeong Yong-geom, who appears as the show's sports commentator, strongly claimed that viewers would shed tears when watching it.
"At first, when you start watching from the match draw, viewers might think, 'Oh, this is fun.' Then later, they will ask why the players go that far," announcer Jeong said, sharing that he actually cried during the shoot. "And by the end, viewers will find themselves crying. I am certain of that."
The producer also mentioned a controversial player who was arrested on charges of sexual assault against his ex-girlfriend, saying, "The first priority is that viewers don't feel uncomfortable. So, of course, he was edited out."
Producer Chang, a hitmaker in reality shows, hopes the upcoming show will also capture people's hearts and lead to a second season.
"As with everything in life, if season one goes well, the second will follow," he said. "Personally, I would love to produce the second season. So, I would be grateful if many people [watch it and] help make an even more amazing second season of 'Rugged Rugby: Conquer or Die.'"

This article is by Shin Min-hee and read by an artificial voice.

JEJU - Rumor has it that there's a "New Jersey" on Jeju Island, but it's nothing like the northeastern U.S. state that boasts a dense population and affluence.
It's a nickname referring to Jeoji-ri, a remote region in western Jeju once known for its abundance of mulberry trees and for trekking at the tranquil and lush Jeoji Oreum volcanic hill and Jeoji Gotjawal forest.
Visitors will discover, to their dismay, that this rural area has nothing in common with the actual state of New Jersey - except for the way people pronounce the locations' names.
No one is sure about the origin behind the nickname, except that it is commonly used among millennials and Gen Z, even being the names for a gimbap joint and a cafe.
But over the past decade, Jeoji-ri has been gaining attention for its artistic community, called Jeoji Artists' Village. Roughly 50 artists have their own galleries or studios in the area, in addition to museums, cultural complexes and parks managed by the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province.
The idea to build the Jeoji Artists' Village was first pitched in 1999 to transform what was once an unfrequented wasteland and give it a new purpose, one that would boost tourism and foster art and culture in Jeju following the 1997 financial crisis.
The Jeju Museum of Contemporary Art kick-started the neighborhood in 2007 as the island's first municipal art museum. Soon after, facilities increased one by one, such as an outdoor sculpture park and a large public storage space for artworks, the latter being the first to be established by a Korean local government.
Since then, Jeoji Artists' Village was designated the country's fifth cultural zone in 2010 in accordance with Article 18 of the Regional Culture Promotion Act. There are six overall: Insa-dong in central Seoul (2002), Daehangno in central Seoul (2004), Heyri Art Village in Paju, Gyeonggi (2009), Incheon Open Port (2010) and the latest, Seoripul Musical Instrument Avenue in southern Seoul (2018).
Here are the stories of how four seemingly disparate artists came to build their galleries and studios in the serene Jeoji Artists' Village. All venues are within walking distance.

Kim Tschang-Yeul Art Museum
The late "waterdrop painter" Kim Tschang-yeul (1929-2021) suffered through lifelong trauma following the 1950-53 Korean War. Born in Maengsan, a region in North Korea, Kim sought refuge on Jeju Island during the war. He recalled his experience on the island as peaceful and considered it his "second hometown." His dream was to someday set up an atelier and spend the rest of his life there.
His wish was achieved in 2019, with the founding of the eponymous municipal museum in Jeoji Artists' Village, following his donation of some 220 artworks to the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province in 2013.
"The artist was so fond of Jeju that he wished that the museum would serve as a 'tomb' for his artworks," said Kim Ah-young, curator at the Kim Tschang-Yeul Art Museum. It's why the interior walls were made dark in color, unlike most other museums.

From the 1970s up until his death, the artist painted water droplets on the canvas that looked too real, like brightly shining beads, as they represented Kim's expression and healing of emotional scars.
Though the artist is celebrated for his oil paintings, he also created glass sculptures of water droplets. Kim spent years living and working abroad, in New York and Paris, plainly naming most of his works "Water drops." In his later years, however, he started naming them "Recurrence" - referring to his determination to return to his homeland of Korea.
The "Water Drops: Moments of magnificence" exhibition, comprised of 12 paintings from the museum's collection, is on view until Feb. 23 next year.
883-5 Yonggeum-ro, Hallim-eup, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, 63017

Itami Jun Museum
Jun Itami (1937-2011), the renowned Japan-born Korean architect, frequently worked on Jeju Island throughout ...

Read what today holds in store for you under the 12 signs of the zodiac, each represented by an animal. Our astrologer Cho Ku-moon explores saju (the four pillars of destiny) and geomancy for your prospects on wealth, health and love while offering advice on the direction of your luck and fortune. Check the year of your birth for today's prediction.
Friday, Dec. 6, 2024 (Nov. 6 on the lunar calendar )
Rat

Wealth: fair
Health: good
Love: joyful
Lucky direction: south
1936: You may find financial opportunities.
1948: A cheerful expense might brighten your day.
1960: You may become lucky with food.
1972: A warm and heartfelt day lies ahead.
1984: Do your best, and luck will favor you.
1996: Expect both spending and gains.
Ox

Wealth: fair
Health: good
Love: happy
Lucky direction: west
1937: Life may feel filled with happiness.
1949: Be proud of the life you've lived.
1961: Today is the best day, so enjoy it.
1973: It's your time to shine.
1985: Success is near.
1997: Luck seems to favor you.
Tiger

Wealth: spending
Health: cautious
Love: conflicting
Lucky direction: north
1938: Something new awaits.
1950: You are not the only one who can do that.
1962: Letting go and simplifying can be freeing.
1974: Release the old to welcome the new.
1986: Conflicts within relationships may show up.
1998: A meeting or event may not go as planned.
Rabbit

Wealth: average
Health: average
Love: generous
Lucky direction: east
1939: Care for yourself before tending to others.
1951: Eat more fruits and vegetables.
1963: Water the seeds of growth around you.
1975: Gentleness often overcomes harshness.
1987: Steady growth requires patience.
1999: Maintain a positive mindset for success.
Dragon

Wealth: fair
Health: good
Love: joyful
Lucky direction: south
1940: A joyful heart may fill your day.
1952: Good news may come your way.
1964: Look forward to a pleasant meeting.
1976: The higher you aim, the stronger the winds may blow.
1988: Social gatherings or outings may bring happiness.
2000: Spend quality time with good friends.
Snake

Wealth: excellent
Health: strong
Love: united
Lucky direction: south
1941: Everything has its rightful place.
1953: You may find value in everything.
1965: More is better.
1977: Collaboration leads to growth and success.
1989: Stick together as a team for great outcomes.
2001: Expect an expansion in your social network.
Horse

Wealth: average
Health: average
Love: jealous
Lucky direction: north
1942: Carry yourself with grace and dignity.
1954: Every action has a reason.
1966: Avoid confusing discipline with criticism.
1978: Stay neutral in disputes to maintain balance.
1990: Be neutral and listen to both sides.
2002: Focus on appreciating what you have.
Sheep

Wealth: fair
Health: good
Love: joyful
Lucky direction: west
1943: Familiar routines bring comfort and ease.
1955: You may acquire something new and useful.
1967: Clear communication enhances teamwork.
1979: Hard work always pays off.
1991: Avoid delaying important tasks.
2003: White is a lucky color for you.
Monkey

Wealth: spending
Health: cautious
Love: fleeting
Lucky direction: west
1944: Silence sometimes is the best choice.
1956: Expectations may not align with reality.
1968: Every outcome has a reason.
1980: Write down your plans to avoid miscommunication.
1992: Sweet moments may come with hidden risks.
2004: Be realistic about what you can achieve.
Rooster

Wealth: spending
Health: cautious
Love: passionate
Lucky direction: northeast
1945: Plans may not match reality.
1957: Consider your age and health when making decisions.
1969: Confidence is good, but avoid overstepping.
1981: Stay behind the scenes rather than taking the lead.
1993: Avoid showing off.
2005: Confidence is key, but balance it with humility.
Dog

Wealth: fair
Health: good
Love: joyful
Lucky direction: east
1946: Ordinary moments may bring great joy.
1958: Anticipate a cheerful and refreshing day.
1970: Share stories about yourself.
1982: Avoid excessive drinking and unsafe decisions.
19...

This article is by Park Eun-jee, Kim Min-joong and read by an artificial voice.

From an ambitious exploratory oil project off the east coast to nuclear power plant exports, a series of policy initiatives pushed by the Yoon Suk Yeol administration are quickly losing traction after the president's botched attempt to impose martial law.
The immediate fear is whether a $17 billion nuclear power plant deal with the Czech Republic will be finalized as scheduled in March of next year.
"Given the large scale of the nuclear power-related contract, it is essential for a national leader to directly engage in the process, but I am not sure whether Yoon now has room to do so," said a source in the local nuclear power industry.
Reviving the use and export of nuclear reactors was a key campaign pledge by Yoon, putting an end to predecessor Moon Jae-in's drive to phase out the energy source. Moon was affiliated with the Democratic Party (DP), now the main opposition party leading the charge to impeach the incumbent president.
While experts consider the chance of a complete nullification of the deal to be slim, Korea's current political whirlwind certainly poses a multitude of challenges, and more generally to the efforts to boost nuclear power.
"Since [the Korean consortium] has already been selected as the preferred bidder, it is unlikely that the order will be canceled," said Roh Dong-seok, executive director at the Korea Energy Information Culture Agency.
"But it is evident that a setback has taken place," he added.
Other experts call for the need to build a framework to ensure the continuation of certain policies crucial to fostering key industries regardless of a change in leadership.
"We need to put in place a system where policies that contribute to enhancing Korea's security and industries remain intact so that the supportive policies can last over the long run," said Chung Bum-jin, a nuclear engineering professor at Kyung Hee University.

The development of a large oil and gas exploration project off Korea's east coast, an endeavor directly addressed by Yoon earlier this year, is at risk of losing its entire budget next year. In a downsized budget bill unilaterally passed by the DP, the 49.7 billion won ($35 million) earmarked for the project was removed as many opposition lawmakers doubt the feasibility of the initiative.
With the country's parliament virtually paralyzed following the martial law fiasco, a raft of bills about next year's budget, taxes and livelihoods hang in the balance.
Some were supposed to be submitted to a plenary session of the National Assembly on Dec. 10, but for now, the opening of the session itself remains unclear as the DP plans to vote to impeach Yoon on Dec. 7.
If the impeachment motion is passed by the DP-dominated National Assembly, the president's authority will be suspended from the moment of the passage until the Constitutional Court gives its ruling on the legality of the ousting.
One of the most pressing bills concerns next year's budget, with the DP voting to slash 4.1 trillion won from the Yoon administration's original 677.4 trillion won.
National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik postponed a vote on the disputed 2025 budget on Monday, urging the rival parties to finalize the decision through negotiations by Dec. 10, the final day of the regular parliamentary session.

This article is by Shin Ha-nee and read by an artificial voice.

Korea's financial authorities are in full damage-control mode amid the political turmoil following President Yoon Suk Yeol's emergency martial law declaration.
But now with the president facing impeachment, the government's initiative to boost the country's global appeal is expected to hit an inevitable snag, regardless of whether the impeachment goes through.
Bank of Korea (BOK) Gov. Rhee Chang-yong said on Thursday that the central bank will not adjust its interest rate trajectory, as well as the growth and inflation outlook for next year, due to the ongoing political unrest.
"As the martial law declaration was lifted very promptly, I don't think its impact on the economy is [significant enough to] change the growth outlook," said Rhee during a press briefing at the central bank in Jung District, central Seoul.
"At the moment, we maintain our previously established stance regarding the interest rate trajectory and economic outlook," the governor said.
Rhee noted that the short-term market volatility has relatively subsided as expected for now, with the government rolling out a series of market stabilization measures.
The comment echoed the market assessment from an Emergency Meeting on Macroeconomic and Financial Issues earlier that day, which was attended by Korea's economic policy chiefs including Rhee, Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, Financial Services Commission Chairman Kim Byoung-hwan and Financial Supervisory Service Gov. Lee Bok-hyun.
The impact of the martial law declaration on the financial and foreign exchange markets had been limited so far, the Ministry of Economy and Finance said in a release after the meeting, calling for a calm response to the situation.
Finance Minister Choi also has been rolling out a series of messages assuring that the Korean government, as well as the economic institutions, is operating as usual.
The minister met with Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, chief economist of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), at the government complex in central Seoul to discuss the current market situation in Korea on Thursday.

Choi sent out an emergency letter late Wednesday to finance ministers and governors of international organizations including the IMF, highlighting that the brief volatility in the financial and foreign exchange markets had quickly stabilized, supported by the country's robust economic system.
Regardless, a leadership shake-up appears inevitable.
Choi is among Yoon's Cabinet members who submitted resignations on Wednesday to take responsibility for the martial law incident.
As the resignations have not yet been accepted, the Finance Ministry said that Choi would remain committed to his duty until his last moment in office.
One of the flagship projects of the Yoon administration has been the Corporate Value-up program, aimed at resolving the chronic undervaluation of the stock market, or the so-called Korea discount.
While solving the Korea discount is a bipartisan agenda, a potential impeachment and ensuing political unrest may slow the government-led initiative, especially with the stock market facing downside risks under looming uncertainties.
"A red flag has been raised over whether the current administration would be able to remain in power, there is a risk of the program losing its main driving force," said LS Securities analyst Kim Yoon-jeong in a note issued on Wednesday.
"The Democratic Party has been empathetic for the need for the Value-up program, so I don't think the policy would necessarily lose its drive in the long run, though there remains a possibility that short-term market volatility will increase," noted Lee Hyo-seop, head of the financial industry division at the Korea Capital Market Institute.
"But a prompt resolution of the political risks would certainly help add momentum for the program."

This article is by Lim Jeong-won and read by an artificial voice.

The U.S. government's remarks on the martial law incident in Korea this week are becoming increasingly blunt, indicating a growing critical perception in Washington over President Yoon Suk Yeol's sudden move.
While a White House National Security Council spokesperson on Tuesday expressed that the United States was "relieved" that Yoon had backtracked from his "concerning" decision, a day later, a senior State Department official assessed that Yoon had "badly misjudged" in his declaration of martial law.
Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, speaking at an event hosted by the Aspen Strategic Forum in Washington on Wednesday, said in response to a question about whether the U.S.'s failure to recognize the martial law situation beforehand was a failure of obtaining intelligence that what took place in Korea was "completely, deeply unpredictable and unlikely" and that Yoon had made a misjudgment.
"This is a powerful symbol of the fact that people were prepared to come out and make clear that this was a deeply illegitimate process and that would be met by the will of the people," Campbell said of the responses from Koreans in the aftermath of the martial law and the National Assembly's vote to lift it.
Although Campbell added in his remarks that the U.S. goal would be to make clear that the Korea-U.S. alliance is "absolutely rock solid," the fact that he used such strong expressions to assess the situation regarding the martial law is seen as the gradual emergence of Washington's critical perception of Yoon.
U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan also commented on the martial law debacle in Korea at an event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies on Wednesday, saying that Washington will continue to speak out "publicly" to strengthen the importance of South Korea's democracy.
"What we want to see is just the proper functioning of the democratic institutions of the ROK and after this rather dramatic announcement that raised alarm bells everywhere, including here in Washington, we have seen those processes and procedures work," said Sullivan, referring to Korea by the acronym for its official name, the Republic of Korea. "South Korea's democracy is robust and resilient, and we're going to continue to speak out publicly and engage privately with South Korean counterparts to reinforce the importance of that continuing as we go forward."
White House National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett also emphasized that Korea "is demonstrating democratic resilience" and that Washington is "confident the people of Korea will resolve this episode peacefully, democratically, and constitutionally," in a post on social media.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed in a comment to Reuters that "it is very important that any disputes, differences, political differences, be resolved peacefully and pursuant to the rule of law," saying that "South Korean democracy is one of the most powerful stories anywhere in the world."
Blinken's comments are seen as a strong message that emphasizes that even if there is any confrontation in politics, sticking to the basic democratic principles of dialogue and comprise instead of martial law is crucial.
American media reported in detail the news of the opposition parties' impeachment motion against Yoon and expected future developments, highlighting the situation in Korea and voicing criticisms of Yoon.
The New York Times, calling the declaration of martial law Yoon's "his boldest political gamble," described the incident as the "most bizarre" such case in the history of Korea, assessing Yoon as now "politically isolated."
Calling Korean democracy "not only intact but also strengthened" following the martial law declaration, the Washington Post warned that the incident could prove "troubling for Washington and Tokyo as they try to expand their three-way security cooperation" with Seoul.
Meanwhile, Kore...

This article is by Cho Jung-woo and read by an artificial voice.

Commuters experienced traffic disruptions on Thursday as unionized workers of the state-run Korea Railway Corporation (Korail) launched an indefinite general strike following failed negotiations on wages and workforce expansion.
The strike affected high-speed KTX train services and subways in the metropolitan area, including lines No. 1, 3 and 4, as well as the Gyeongchun, Gyeongui-Jungang, Suin-Bundang and Seohae lines. However, other train services, such as the SRT, GTX-A and Airport Railroad Express, continued to operate as usual.
"I usually take the subway to work in the morning because it's faster, but today I decided to take the bus instead," said a 24-year-old office worker who took a bus from Sadang Station in southern Seoul.
Around 220 train services were canceled due to the strike on Thursday. In response to the walkout, Korail implemented an emergency transport plan to dispatch alternative personnel and maximize train schedules.
Korail announced plans to maintain 75 percent of subway operations, compared to normal days, and up to 90 percent during the morning and afternoon rush hours. For other train services, targeted operations during the strike are set at 67 percent for the KTX, 58 percent for the ITX-Saemaeul and 62 percent for the Mugunghwa trains.
Local governments of the greater Seoul area, including Incheon and Gyeonggi, vowed to minimize commuter inconvenience by increasing bus schedules during peak hours and collaborating with taxi associations to dispatch additional taxis. Alternative personnel will also be mobilized during the strike.

The indefinite strike by the Korean Railway Workers' Union (KRWU) marks the first in a year and three months, following the previous walkout in September last year.
Negotiations between Korail and the labor union on Wednesday afternoon lasted for about five hours but failed to resolve disputes over wages, unpaid salaries, performance incentives and workforce expansion.
"We decided to stage a walkout, as no agreement was reached on key issues, including increasing wages, resolving unpaid wages, improving incentive payments and adding more labor," the KRWU said in a statement on Thursday.
The union on the same day held rallies nationwide, including in Seoul, Busan and Daejeon, calling for improved working conditions, which they described as necessary "to protect the lives of people."
As of 11 a.m. Thursday, a total of 2,870 of the train operator's 12,994 employees - or 22 percent - had joined the strike, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Korail. The figure is slightly higher than last year's participation rate of 21.7 percent.

Disruptions are expected to worsen on Friday as unionized workers of Seoul Metro, which operates subway lines No. 1 to 8, plan to launch their own strike if negotiations with the subway operator fall through.
The Seoul Metro's labor unions are demanding a wage increase and the withdrawal of a restructuring plan to slash 2,000 employees by 2026.
Negotiations between the union and Seoul Metro began at 4 p.m. Thursday and no agreement has been reached as of press time. If the situation continues, the union will strike Friday morning, marking the third consecutive year of walkouts.
Despite the strike, a minimum level of subway operations must be maintained under previous agreements. For subway lines No. 1 to 4, operations must be maintained at 65.7 percent, while lines No. 5 to 8 require 79.8 percent. Services during morning peak hours are expected to run as usual.
The Seoul city government announced plans to maintain 100 percent subway operations during morning rush hours and 86 percent during the afternoon rush. Additional train cars will be deployed to mitigate the impact of the Korail strike and reserve intracity buses will be dispatched.

This article is by Shin Ha-nee and read by an artificial voice.

As President Yoon Suk Yeol became Korea's third president to face impeachment following the ill-executed declaration of emergency martial law on Tuesday, investors are on edge over its potential implications for Korea's already struggling financial market.
In the past two impeachment trials, the stock market reacted differently in the face of major political turmoil - rising about 4.5 percent back during the 2016-2017 incident, and sliding nearly 15 percent in 2004.
But if history is anything to go by, the ongoing political tussle is unlikely to have a lasting impact on Korea's economic trajectory, experts suggest. The key variable moving forward, therefore, will likely be the extent of the inevitable uncertainty, rather than who is at the helm or not.
The liberal Democratic Party put forward an impeachment motion against the president on Wednesday afternoon, which will now proceed to a vote in the National Assembly on Saturday. If the motion is passed, Yoon will be the third president in the country's history to go under an impeachment trial by the Supreme Court.
While the market response was relatively subdued, foreigners have been on a selling spree for two consecutive sessions, offloading shares worth 723.7 billion won ($511.1 million) from Wednesday to Thursday, and the won-dollar exchange rate still remains at a two-year high.
The ongoing political unrest exerts downward pressure by dampening investor and consumer confidence. In the longer run, however, the prospect of the Korean financial market is likely to be determined by the fundamentals and external macroeconomic variables, rather than the current short-term surge in volatility, as was the case during the previous two impeachment trials.
The most recent impeachment motion before the latest one was against former President Park Geun-hye in 2016. The Kospi rose 4.48 percent to 2,097.35 from Nov. 1, 2016, when calls for her ousting were growing, through March 10, 2017, when the Supreme Court upheld the impeachment, formally removing her from office.
On the other hand, the Kospi fell 14.5 percent from March 2, 2004, a week before the National Assembly put forward an impeachment motion against late President Roh Moo-hyun, through May 14, when Roh returned to office after the Supreme Court rejected the motion.

In the case of Park, the biggest factor that drove up the benchmark index was an economic upcycle that began in early 2017, with the trade environment turning favorable. In contrast, China's monetary tightening announced in April 2004 pushed the Kospi sharply down.
Bank of Korea Gov. Rhee Chang-yong also offered assurances that the ongoing chaos is unlikely to result in a meaningful change in the long-term trajectory, saying, "Looking back on the previous two impeachment cases, their impact on economic growth or mid- to long-term economic prospects were limited," during a press conference at the central bank on Thursday.
"The impeachment issue appears to be more relevant to short-term investor sentiment than economic fundamentals, considering the fact that the stock market reflected the domestic and global macroeconomic trend rather than the political risks during the previous two impeachment trials," said Byeon Jun-ho, an analyst at IBK Securities, in a note issued on Thursday.
However, Byeon also noted that the market may react more sensitively this time compared to 2016, considering that the Korean economy now faces a slowdown.

This article is by Lee Soo-jung and read by an artificial voice.

In a statement, the Korean Medical Association (KMA) wrote that President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law "based on his delusion without any preparations nor measures."
The medical community - medical students and professors, junior doctors and community doctors - has clashed with the Yoon administration since February after an announcement of expanding enrollment seats in medical schools.
The doctors' association specifically denounced the usage of the word "punishment" in the martial law decree. The order mandated all striking medical personnel to return to their workplace within 48 hours and specified that disobedience would result in punishment.
The KMA claimed such an expression is equivalent to "likening junior doctors and medical professors to antistate forces attempting to overthrow democracy." The group also clarified junior doctors - pursuing medical specialty licenses - were not striking as they are serving in the health industry with their general doctors' licenses after their resignations were processed earlier.
The group lambasted the president, calling the idea of viewing doctors as a threat to society "delusional."
They further went on to ask the government to reveal information on how the term came to be used in the martial decree and demanded that the involved official be held accountable.
Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong drew a clear line regarding a suspicion that his ministry was involved in using the term "punishment" during a parliamentary health committee meeting on Thursday. Cho said he only saw the decree after it was released to the public and that "the ministry was baffled."
The doctors also criticized the lack of procedural legitimacy in the government's decision-making, noting a 2,000-seat hike in medical recruitment expansion was hastened, as well as the martial law declaration.
"The figure of 2,000 was first came up to the table by Health Minister Cho just an hour before the admission quota expansion was announced on Feb.6," the group wrote in a statement.
The KMA said it is unclear who attended a Cabinet meeting or whether the proper review was conducted before declaring martial law.
The group noted that delusion-based martial law cannot fix the problems that Korea faces, expressing its relief at the lifting of martial law.
"Korea is a democratic republic, and people should bring down a president who considers himself a monarch," the KMA said.

This article is by Sarah Kim and read by an artificial voice.

Cabinet members and military officials denied association with President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived emergency martial law declaration Tuesday as they were grilled by the parliament Thursday on their roles and knowledge of the situation.
When grilled by lawmakers at a parliamentary hearing Thursday on what went about in a Cabinet meeting ahead of Yoon's declaration of martial law, Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min said, "I remember there were several people who used the word 'oppose.'"
He had been asked by a liberal Democratic Party (DP) lawmaker at the National Assembly in western Seoul "how many ministers expressed opposition during the discussion of martial law" in the Cabinet meeting that took place Tuesday night right before Yoon declared the first martial law in Korea in 45 years through a televised public address.
The parliamentary public administration and security committee received a report earlier Thursday on the emergency martial law situation from Lee, Korean National Police Agency Commissioner Cho Ji-ho and Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner Kim Bong-sik.
When asked what opinions he expressed over the declaration of martial law, Lee initially said, "It is difficult to say what opinions I expressed," adding, "individual ministers expressed various opinions."
However, when pressed further, Lee replied, "I also expressed my concerns."
Lee was also asked whether anyone expressed concerns, aside from former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who suggested enacting martial law.
In turn, Lee suggested that even the defense minister had his worries, adding, "Though he is the one to make the suggestion, he could have had various concerns."
Lee said "the president then stated his position" and "said that the situational awareness and sense of responsibility felt by each member of the Cabinet are different from the sense of responsibility felt by the president, who is the commander in chief of the country."
According to Lee, the Cabinet meeting to declare martial law on Tuesday was held around 10 p.m., and 11 members attended.
The meeting lasted about 20 minutes, he said, and the impact of the declaration of martial law on the economy was discussed.
Ahead of the convening of Tuesday's Cabinet meeting Lee, usually based at the Sejong government complex, was told around lunchtime that he might have an appointment with the president, so he arrived in Seoul earlier than originally planned.
"I arrived in Seoul around 8 p.m., and while I was en route, I received a call asking me to come into the presidential office," Lee said.
The DP has been pushing to impeach Lee, considered one of Yoon's closest aides in the Cabinet alongside Defense Minister Kim, who resigned Wednesday to take responsibility for the martial law declaration. Both Lee and Kim attended the same high school as Yoon.

The DP accused Yoon of committing treason by ordering troops to break into the National Assembly after invoking martial law late Tuesday. Yoon lifted martial law six hours later after parliament passed a motion calling on him to do so, approved by a Cabinet meeting early Wednesday.
DP members have compared Yoon's actions to a botched coup attempt and an "antistate" rebellion.
On Thursday, DP lawmakers filed treason charges against Yoon to police, an offense a sitting president can be indicted for. Police said it opened the investigation into the allegations.
This comes as Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung reportedly ordered the prosecution to directly the treason allegations against Yoon, according to legal sources, rather than transferring the case to police.
When asked by a DP lawmaker if he thought Yoon committed treason, Minister Lee replied, "I don't think so," saying the president "exercised the authority stipulated in the Constitution."
Army Chief of Staff Gen. Park An-su, who was named martial law commander Tuesday night and immediately declared all politi...

This article is by Seo Ji-eun and read by an artificial voice.

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday accepted the resignation of Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who stepped down amid intense backlash over his deep involvement in Korea's first declaration of martial law in 45 years.
Kim, regarded as the key architect of the martial law plan, stepped down less than 24 hours after the emergency martial law, implemented late Tuesday, was overturned by the National Assembly shortly after. Thursday's parliamentary questioning revealed that Kim directed key elements of the operation, including deploying troops to the National Assembly, appointing a martial law commander and issuing the controversial proclamation, which has been criticized as unconstitutional.
During a parliamentary question on Thursday, Vice Defense Minister and Acting Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho confirmed that Kim Yong-hyun personally directed the operations following the proclamation's effect at 11 p.m. Tuesday, including troop deployments to the National Assembly. Army Chief of Staff Park An-su, who was appointed martial law commander, also testified that he did not order the deployment.
Korea's Martial Law Act stipulates that when the law is declared nationwide, command authority flows directly from the president to the martial law commander. However, testimony suggests that Kim bypassed this chain of command, raising legal questions.

The proclamation banned all political activities, including assemblies and protests, which were pointed out as violating the Constitution. While martial law permits special measures regarding administrative and judicial functions, it does not authorize interference with legislative activities.
"Although I cannot confirm who drafted the proclamation, as far as I know, the Ministry of National Defense did not draft the proclamation," said Acting Defense Minister Kim.
Park noted he first saw the document at a command post. He raised concerns about its legality, while ex-Minister Kim dismissed the concerns, saying "The legal review is complete; there's no issue."
The questioning also revealed that there was dissent within the defense ministry and military.
"I have fundamentally opposed the mobilization of troops in such martial law, and I expressed a negative opinion on that," Kim said. He also expressed regret and said he would take full responsibility for not intervening earlier.
While Yoon's senior aides offered to resign en masse following the martial law declaration, Park said he also offered to resign to Kim as the Army Chief of Staff the previous day.
The presidential office said Thursday Yoon rejected Park's offer to resign. Yoon determined that "stable military operations are necessary under the recent severe security situation, and requested that he concentrates on carrying out his duties as Army Chief of Staff," according to the presidential office.
Ex-Defense Minister Kim is known as a staunch loyalist to Yoon.
A high school senior to Yoon, he was instrumental in relocating the presidential office from the Blue House to its current location in Yongsan. He also served as the head of the Presidential Security Service before being appointed defense minister.
Insiders suggest Kim's fealty to Yoon, saying "you're right" to every one of the president's words, influenced the president's decision to push forward with martial law, despite vocal opposition from other cabinet members during a late-night meeting on Tuesday, according to local media reports.
Yoon declared emergency martial law a bit before 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, which was lifted only six hours later, three and a half hours after the National Assembly unanimously passed a resolution to lift it. This was the first time since 1979 - following the assassination of President Park Chung Hee - and the 17th time in Korea's whole history that a state of martial law was declared.
Kim's resignation ends his three-month tenure as defense minister in disgrace, marking the third such...

This article is by Kim Min-young and read by an artificial voice.

Five reform-minded lawmakers of the conservative People Power Party (PPP) proposed a constitutional amendment to shorten the presidential term as a response to President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law.
"We propose the following measures for an orderly resolution," said PPP Reps. Kim Jae-sub, Kim Sang-wook, Kim So-hee, Kim Yea-ji and Woo Jae-jun in a press conference held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Thursday.
"This is an essential step to prevent political paralysis and national division caused by impeachment."
Despite PPP leader Han Dong-hoon's vow to block an impeachment motion against the president led by the Democratic Party (DP), the five lawmakers were more ambiguous on Thursday's press conference.
"The president must issue a sincere apology to the public regarding the martial law declaration," said the lawmakers, calling for "a swift investigation and punishment for all individuals responsible for this incident."
"The president inflicted an indelible wound on our citizens, who have endured a history of democratic suppression and the trauma of human rights abuses," they said, "No justification from the president or the ruling party can rationalize this martial law declaration."
"The president has lost both the authority and trust of the public due to this declaration of martial law. We must face this sobering reality."
"We have not yet decided on a specific position," the lawmakers replied when asked about their stance on the impeachment being pursued by the DP.
Immediately after issuing the statement, Rep. Kim Jae-sub was asked by a reporter, "Since constitutional amendments do not apply to the current president, are you suggesting resignation?"
"A legal review will be conducted later," he said. "What we are asserting now is that a constitutional amendment to shorten the presidential term must be discussed and is necessary."
When asked if Yoon's term should be shortened as well, Kim answered, "That is a part of it."

This article is by Jin Eun-soo and read by an artificial voice.

SK Group announced 75 executive promotions for the coming year on Thursday, cutting the number nearly in half compared to two years ago as part of its push to streamline operations and boost efficiency.
A total of 145 promotions were made in 2022, followed by 82 last year.
Two-thirds of the promotions this year applied to those with expertise in research and development and hands-on field experience, according to the group.
"[SK Group] focused on the fundamental competitiveness of the business by carrying out a personnel reshuffle focused on technology, field experience and global business," said SK Group in a release Thursday.
"We plan to accelerate the settlement of a corporate culture that is centered on stabilization and execution through an ad-hoc reshuffle in the middle of the year."
One new CEO was appointed in the year-end reshuffle among the group's affiliates with Son Hyun-ho, vice president of Strategy Support Team at SK Supex Council, being promoted to president and CEO of SK Discovery, an investment-focused company on green materials, pharmaceuticals and energy.
SK Group tapped Paul DeLaney as head of government relations at SK Americas, an entity newly established early this year to fortify the group's U.S. business. DeLaney served as deputy chief of staff at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

SK hynix added two new divisions to its business structure in an attempt to concentrate its resources on developing and mass-producing memory chips.
The newly established development division will be in charge of engineering AI chips such as high bandwidth memory (HBM) and NAND. The division will be headed by Ahn Hyun.
Ahn who has been promoted to president this year has served in a number of core divisions at SK hynix such as research, business strategy and solutions development. He was appointed internal board member of the company early this year as well.
SK hynix also set up a production division that will oversee the mass production process of its silicon. The division will be in charge of coordinating different steps of the production and elevating production technology at its manufacturing facilities including the ones being built in the mega chip cluster in Yongin, Gyeonggi.
"This year, we have solidified our technology competitiveness in AI memory such as HBM and eSSD due to the exhaustive efforts of our employees, who united as one," said SK hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung in a release.
"We have achieved significant growth this year, but since the business environment is fast changing, [SK hynix] plans to take the lead further through the latest reshuffle, which rebalanced the existing business with future growth fundamentals."
SK Telecom said Thursday it has established an AI R&D center that will oversee the AI-related business throughout its affiliates.

This article is by Park Tae-in and read by an artificial voice.

In the lead-up to President Yoon Suk Yeol's unexpected decision to enact martial law on Tuesday, unwitting Cabinet members were summoned for a secretive meeting to discuss the impending declaration.
Now former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun was the only Cabinet member who had prior knowledge of Yoon's decision to declare martial law on Tuesday. Kim, a former Lieutenant General, was the president's senior at Chungam High School.
The Cabinet meeting for reviewing Yoon's proclamation of martial law was held on Tuesday from 9 p.m. to 9:40 p.m. in the Yongsan presidential office's Cabinet meeting room, just before Yoon's televised declaration. Even among the close aides in the presidential office, no one except a select few involved in the president's security knew about Yoon's decision to declare martial law.
Most ministers who attended the meeting reportedly learned about the agenda only upon arriving at the venue. The process was carried out in secrecy.
Article 77 of the Constitution grants the president the authority to declare martial law, subject to Cabinet review.

The process of declaring martial law was not smooth. At around 8 p.m., about an hour before the meeting, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo arrived at the presidential office and expressed objections to the declaration, arguing that it could negatively impact the economy.
Han pointed out concerns such as fluctuations in the exchange rate and a decline in international credibility. Despite this, the prime minister failed to persuade Yoon, and the decision was made that the declaration would proceed while adhering to legal procedures.
Yoon then summoned the ministers to the presidential office. Once the minimum quorum of more than half the Cabinet - which is 11 members - was present for the swift execution of the martial law declaration, the meeting commenced.
According to an investigation by JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of Korea JoongAng Daily, attendees included Yoon, Han, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho, Justice Minister Park Sung-jae, Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, Agriculture Minister Song Mi-ryung, Health Minister Cho Kyoo-hong and SMEs Minister Oh Young-ju.

In addition to Han, Deputy Prime Minister Choi and Foreign Minister Cho reportedly strongly opposed the declaration, citing its potential impact on the economy and foreign relations. Cho Tae-yul was said to have been the first to voice opposition, citing domestic and international repercussions. Despite repeated attempts during the meeting to change Yoon's mind, these efforts were unsuccessful. Few ministers agreed to the declaration without hesitation.
National Intelligence Service (NIS) Director Cho Tae-yong, who is not a Cabinet member, was also present and reportedly opposed the declaration. Although the NIS Director is not a Cabinet member, the relevant laws allow for senior officials to attend if deemed necessary by the chairperson. Yoon's decision to include the NIS director may have been linked to the reasoning for martial law, which Yoon attributed to threats from "North Korean communist forces."
Yoon reportedly told the ministers that martial law was the last card left to normalize the state in response to the liberal Democratic Party's unilateral budget handling and impeachment proceedings. The president emphasized that the proclamation was a legitimate exercise of presidential authority under the Constitution and added, "I will take responsibility," maintaining a firm stance.

"The meeting was conducted in a very serious atmosphere," said a senior PPP official. "While some ministers opposed, they had no choice but to comply when the president insisted." The declaration proceeded as planned, supported firmly by Yoon and Defense Minister Kim.
The Constitution and the Martial Law Act require the president to obtain a ...

This article is by Lee Hay-june and read by an artificial voice.

Parliamentary speaker Woo Won-shik scaled a fence to enter a heavily-guarded National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Tuesday following President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law.
Park Tae-seo, the speaker's spokesperson, detailed Woo's movements after the martial law declaration to reporters Wednesday.
At approximately 8:40 p.m. that day, Woo concluded a dinner with Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov at the Sarangjae reception house in the National Assembly and arrived at his official residence in Hannam-dong, Yongsan District, central Seoul, shortly after 9 p.m.
While resting, Woo learned of Yoon's martial law declaration and immediately departed with his security team, arriving at the National Assembly at 10:56 p.m.
"Speaker Woo attempted to enter through Gate 3 of the National Assembly but was blocked by a wall of police vehicles," Park said, adding that "at around 10:57 or 10:58 p.m., the speaker and his head of security climbed over the wall."
Photos documenting the incident were also released.

A resolution demanding the lifting of martial law was introduced in a National Assembly plenary session around 1 a.m. on Wednesday and passed unanimously. According to the Speaker's office, the resolution was confirmed to have been delivered to the Ministry of National Defense at 2:16 a.m.
Woo spoke directly with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo at approximately 5:50 a.m., confirming that Yoon had declared the lifting of martial law after a Cabinet meeting at 4:30 a.m. Woo adjourned the plenary session at 5:54 a.m.
In response to a question about whether there were attempts to arrest the Speaker, Park said, "After checking CCTV footage, there was an attempt to enter the third floor, but there is no evidence of any martial law forces attempting to arrest the Speaker."
Earlier that morning, Park had also informed reporters that Woo had spoken with U.S. Ambassador to Korea Philip Goldberg.

Woo reportedly told Goldberg, "The National Assembly responded calmly, and the Cabinet has decided to lift martial law. However, political instability should not lead to a security crisis on the Korean Peninsula," asking for the U.S. government's "special attention."
Woo has canceled all external appointments and decided to remain on emergency standby at the National Assembly.
"Until this situation is resolved, I plan to remain on emergency standby at my office in the National Assembly, rather than returning to my official residence," he wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday.
"Last night was unusually long, but it was a day when both the people and the National Assembly demonstrated the maturity of democracy," Woo wrote, vowing to "take all necessary measures to quickly stabilize the current national chaos."

This article is by Shin Min-hee and read by an artificial voice.

JEJU - The fourth edition of the Jeju Biennale emphasizes the key concept "drift." According to the executive director Lee Jong-hoo, drifting has always been deeply rooted in the island's history and culture.
He gave the example through the tale of Apagi, who was the prince of Tamna, the old name for Jeju, during the Three Kingdoms period (57 B.C.-A.D. 676). Not much is known about Apagi, even his birth and death years, except legend says that he assisted lost Japanese envoys back to their land after they accidentally drifted off course and arrived on the Korean island.
The biennale expands the drifting narrative, deep diving into how it has impacted social, cultural and political issues, such as migration, the changes in the ecosystem and the emergence of civilization, under the theme "The Drift of Apagi: The Way of Water, Wind and Stars."

Exhibitions are held throughout five venues, with the Jeju Museum of Art serving as the main venue, and at the Jeju Art Platform, Folklore & Natural History Museum Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, Public Storage for Artworks, as part of the Jeju Museum of Contemporary Art, and International Convention Center Jeju.
Among the works of the 87 participating artists from 14 nations are several Jeju-based artists who explore their own versions of drifting, such as Yang Kura, who found inspiration in the April 3, 1948 uprising on Jeju Island, which resulted in tens of thousands of civilian casualties. In his work, drifting is used in contexts through corpses and marine debris.

Through research, Yang found that the victims' bodies had drifted along ocean currents onto the shores of Tsushima Island. He made videos based on the interviews of the villagers at Tsushima who had personally witnessed the dead bodies.
"Drifting not only applies to objects but also dead bodies," Yang said. "I've also learned that there's a cenotaph installed in northwestern Tsushima that faces Jeju Island, and that the villagers hold a memorial service for the victims every September."
He also linked this tragedy with the litter that has accumulated near the island. He brought back plastic bottles, fishing nets and other waste he found in Tsushima and turned them into a large colorful tree installation. He documented the items he found into a large map.
Ko Kwang-min, another artist based in Jeju, sheds light on the cultural and historical significance of the island's straw baskets, which were influenced by neighboring nations Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan through the Kuroshio Current. These baskets made up a large part of the maritime exchanges in the Asia-Pacific region.

Boo Ji-hyun took the theme of drifting literally with "Ultimate Space" (2022), which offers visitors a visually immersive experience of seemingly submerging themselves in water. The site-specific installation takes place in an old Megabox theater at the Jeju Art Platform that has had most of its chairs removed and is pitch black inside. As visitors slowly enter the room, they move past an illusion of the ocean's surface that is achieved through a combination of laser and fog effects.
The Jeju Museum of Contemporary Art is holding a special exhibition on the biennale's sidelines showcasing 143 Western paintings from the Johannesburg Art Gallery in South Africa. Titled "Monet to Warhol: Reading 400 Years of Western Art through Masterpieces," some featured artists include notable names like Andy Warhol, Claude Monet, Joseph Mallord William Turner, John Brett, Jean-Francois Millet and Auguste Rodin.
The traveling exhibition visited Gyeongju and Busan earlier this year and is set to move to the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in central Seoul next year.
The 2024 Jeju Biennale continues until Feb. 16 next year. Opening hours and ticket prices for each venue vary. Visit the website for more information.

This article is by Cho Jung-woo and read by an artificial voice.

Over 70 percent of respondents expressed support for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol following his surprise declaration of martial law, which was lifted six hours after being announced Tuesday night.
According to a public opinion survey released by pollster Realmeter on Thursday, 73.6 percent of respondents said Yoon should be impeached over the martial law controversy.
The poll surveyed 504 eligible voters aged 18 and older nationwide on Wednesday. It has a confidence interval of 95 percent and a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.
Among the respondents, 24 percent opposed impeachment, while 2.4 percent were undecided.
By age group, support for impeachment was highest among those aged 18 to 29, followed by respondents in their 40s.
When asked whether Yoon's declaration of martial law could be considered an act of insurrection, 69.5 percent agreed, while 24.9 percent believed he should not face such charges.
Support for the view that the president's actions constituted insurrection was strongest among respondents aged 18 to 29, followed again by those in their 40s.
The liberal Democratic Party announced on Thursday that it would push forward a special investigation into Yoon, accusing him of committing insurrection.

This article is by Kim Min-young and read by an artificial voice.

Candlelight vigil condemning President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law and calling for his resignation were held across the nation on Wednesday.
This marks the first time in eight years that simultaneous candlelight vigils have taken place since the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye in 2016.
Various civic groups, including the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, held such a rally at 6 p.m. in front of the Dongwha Duty Free Shop in Gwanghwamun, Jongno District, central Seoul. The event attracted an estimated 10,000 participants, according to organizers. The participants chanted such phrases as "arrest Yoon" and "Yoon, step down" while holding candles.
"I experienced martial law in 1979," Lee Hyun-kyu, a 63-year-old retired teacher from Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang, said, adding, "I attended the rally after a three-and-a-half-hour journey to prevent such events from happening to the next generation."

In front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, where troops attempted to enter under the martial law order the night before, approximately 2,000 citizens gathered, according to police estimates.

In Gwangju, local civic and social groups held a rally at the May 18 Democracy Square in front of the former South Jeolla provincial office at 7 p.m. Earlier that day, at 9 a.m., an impromptu gathering took place at the same location with around 500 participants.
An anti-Yoon protest was also held in Daegu, a city known as the "heart of conservatism." Around 1,000 alumni from universities in the Daegu and North Gyeongsang regions issued an emergency declaration at 5 p.m., calling for the president's resignation.

Candlelight vigils were also held in various locations, including the Geodu Intersection area in Chuncheon, Gangwon, in front of Jeju City Hall's civil complaints office on Jeju Island and in Changwon Square in South Gyeongsang.
In Busan, daily rallies demanding the president's resignation, are planned in Seomyeon, Busanjin District, through early next week.

This article is by Sarah Kim and read by an artificial voice.

Over a harrowing six-hour period, President Yoon Suk Yeol went from unexpectedly declaring emergency martial law in South Korea late Tuesday to overturning the decree after being rebuffed by parliament and facing fierce public outcry.
On Wednesday, Yoon withdrew from the public eye after giving two televised addresses watched by an anxious nation as he proclaimed martial law as a means of eradicating "antistate forces" at around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, only to lift it at 4:27 a.m. Wednesday.
Senior presidential aides, including chief of staff Chung Jin-suk, tendered their resignations en masse in the morning, hours after the order was lifted.
The resignations of the presidential aides appear to be an attempt to take responsibility for the situation surrounding the declaration of martial law amid parliamentary and public calls for Yoon to resign or be impeached over the debacle.
Yoon canceled all scheduled public appearances Wednesday, including a meeting on a response to drug crimes at 10 a.m., which was postponed, a presidential official said.
In the afternoon, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, People Power Party (PPP) Chairman Han Dong-hoon and PPP floor leader Choo Kyung-ho sought access to the Yongsan presidential office apparently to meet with the president to discuss how to go forward after the declaration and lifting of martial law. The PPP chief was Yoon's former justice minister and colleague in the prosecution, while Choo was his former finance minister.
The trio held an meeting with chief of staff Chung earlier at the prime minister's official residence to discuss follow-up measures.
Earlier Wednesday, the prime minister said in a statement that he bears some responsibility for the situation as he helms the Cabinet.
Beginning a tumultuous night for Koreans late Tuesday, Yoon gave an unannounced public address declaring emergency martial law to eradicate "antistate forces," invoking a decree last imposed during a military regime.
"I declare martial law to protect the Republic of Korea from the threats of North Korean communist forces, to immediately eradicate the unscrupulous pro-Pyongyang antistate forces that pillage the freedom and happiness of our people and to protect free constitutional order," Yoon said.
This marked the first time in some 45 years that martial law has been declared in South Korea.
The country has come under martial law a total of 16 times prior to Tuesday, and emergency martial law proclaimed 12 times. The last emergency martial law was declared in October 1979, following the assassination of former President Park Chung Hee. It was expanded across the nation ahead of the May 18, 1980, democratization movement in Gwangju during the Chun Doo Hwan regime.
Lawmakers across the political aisle immediately voiced their shock, and three hours after Yoon's proclamation, the National Assembly passed a resolution requesting the lifting of the emergency martial law.
The motion was passed early Wednesday with all 190 lawmakers present in favor. This included 18 conservative PPP lawmakers in a 300-seat parliament controlled by the liberal Democratic Party (DP).
National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik called the martial law "null and void," assuring the public to "be at ease" as he vowed that parliament will safeguard democracy. He called on the police and military to immediately exit parliamentary grounds.
Yoon announced in a public address at 4:27 a.m. Wednesday that he will hold a Cabinet meeting to lift the emergency martial law.
He said in the second televised public address over the course of several hours that troops deployed to enforce the decree have been withdrawn.
"At 11 p.m. last night, I declared martial law with a resolute will to save the country against antistate forces that are trying to paralyze the essential functions of the country and destroy the constitutional order of liberal democracy," said Yoon in a televised address early Wed...

This article is by Kim Min-young and read by an artificial voice.

The liberal Democratic Party (DP) announced on Thursday that it will pass an impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday.
"We will proceed with the impeachment vote against President Yoon around 7 p.m. on Dec. 7," Jo Seoung-lae, the DP's chief spokesperson, told the press after an emergency Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul.
"We need to allow the public ample time to assess the impeachment motion," Jo said, explaining that the date was chosen to provide members of the conservative People Power Party (PPP) "sufficient time to deliberate on the unconstitutional and illegal acts of rebellion or coup d'état."
When asked if this was a strategy to attract defections from the PPP, Jo responded that the DP "hasn't discussed any special strategies" but added, "the other side might employ underhanded tactics to defeat the motion."
"They might collectively refuse to enter the main assembly hall or abstain from voting," Jo said. "Such unprecedented actions would indicate internal discord and invite public criticism."
"During the vote to demand the lifting of martial law, 18 members of the ruling party attended the main assembly hall, and all voted in favor," Jo said. "Just as we halted martial law, we must also stop President Yoon.
"We expect decisive action and courage."
Jo also announced plans to file a report with the National Police Agency that afternoon, accusing eight individuals of insurrection.
The individuals to be charged are: President Yoon; former Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun; Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min; Army Chief of Staff Park An-su, who served as martial law commander; head of Defense Counterintelligence Command Yeo In-hyeong; head of Capital Defense Command Lee Jin-woo; head of Special Warfare Command Kwak Jong-keun and Commissioner General Cho Ji-ho.

This article is by Seo Ji-eun and read by an artificial voice.

Korea is seeing its first major impeachment crisis in eight years, as opposition parties begin impeachment proceedings and nationwide protests continue against President Yoon Suk Yeol over his emergency martial law declaration - reminiscent of the 2016 impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye.
Rival parties in Korea are at odds over President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of emergency martial law, with both sides condemning the decision but taking divergent positions on impeachment on Thursday. The impeachment motion against President Yoon will be put to a vote at the National Assembly this Saturday evening.
The president's conservative People Power Party (PPP) leader, Han Dong-hoon, opposed the impeachment motion against Yoon, citing concerns over public harm and political instability.
"As party leader, I will strive to ensure that this impeachment does not pass to prevent harm to the public and supporters from unprepared chaos," Han said during a supreme council meeting at the National Assembly.
Han, who addressed Yoon's impeachment plan publicly for the first time, said that his stance was not an attempt to justify the president's unconstitutional actions .
"From the very beginning, I stood with the public's anger and patriotism over this situation, and I will continue to do so," he said, adding that those responsible, including Yoon, must face "strict accountability" for unsettling the public.
Six opposition parties, led by the main opposition Democratic Party (DP), submitted Yoon's impeachment motion early Thursday morning. The motion must be voted on within 24 to 72 hours after its submission according to constitutional law.
PPP floor leader Choo Kyung-ho reinforced Han's position, pledging to unite the party's 108 lawmakers to ensure the motion's defeat.
"This marks the 23rd impeachment motion under the Yoon administration, and it is disheartening," Choo said, who added that "the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye left South Korea deeply divided" and that "another impeachment of the president would repeat a historical tragedy."
Choo also apologized for the public confusion caused by the declaration of martial law, saying, "As the president's party floor leader, I deeply regret that this situation has caused shock and concern among the public."
Yoon defended his decision during a meeting with PPP leader Han, claiming that martial law was necessary due to the DP's "reckless provocations."
Han noted a significant disconnect between the President's perception and that of the public, calling the situation "difficult to empathize with."

DP leader Lee Jae-myung condemned the martial law as a "royalist coup attempt" aimed at consolidating absolute power.
"Yoon sought to turn himself into an absolute monarch by taking control of all constitutional and state institutions," Lee said during a supreme council meeting.
Lee said that impeachment was essential to prevent future abuse of power.
"We must ensure that the royalist coup that has risen from the grave is sent back to its tomb and sealed from resurrection," he said.
Lee also criticized the PPP leader for failing to respond to his requests for dialogue, urging him to "take historical responsibility."
"Even if the PPP chooses to align itself with a criminal group, it is the leader's duty to correct this course," Lee said, adding, "He should become an accomplice to treason."
The DP-controlled National Assembly also railroaded the passage of impeachment motions against Chief State Auditor Choe Jae-hae and three top prosecutors on Thursday, citing their roles in investigations into controversies surrounding the presidential office and First Lady Kim Keon-hee. It is the first time a BAI chief has been impeached by parliament.

The DP also plans to simultaneously vote on a special counsel bill targeting the first lady during Saturday's session, aiming to prevent PPP lawmakers from boycotting the vote.
"...

This article is by Lee Jian and read by an artificial voice.

The art of making jang, or fermented sauces, was inscribed on Unesco's Intangible Cultural Heritage list on Wednesday, as a communal act that "fosters peace and a sense of belonging."
The process, dating back centuries, is at the "start and center" of the country's cuisine, according to head chef of fermented food manufacturer Sempio Foods, Choi Jung-yoon.
"Making of jang embodies the philosophy and attitude behind Korean cuisine," Choi told the Korea JoongAng Daily. "Having it recognized by Unesco is equivalent to having the entirety of Korean cuisine recognized, so it is all the more meaningful."

Jang, namely ganjang (soy sauce), doenjang (soybean paste) and gochujang, is in nearly all Korean dishes, often in lieu of salt. Records have it being used as far back as the Goguryeo Kingdom (37 B.C.-A.D. 668) , according to The Academy of Korean Studies.

Contrary to their pungent smells and tastes, jang are known to be excellent flavor enhancers. Their uses are seemingly endless as they work their umami magic into nearly all guk (soup) and banchan (side dishes). Locals even use them as a dip for raw vegetables.
In recent months, particularly on social media, jang has had more experimental uses, with the creation of gochujang butter and doenjang cookies.

A leading researcher at one of Korea's largest and oldest jang manufacturers, Choi believes that this may well be the chance for the Korean staple sauce to find its way into kitchen pantries around the world.
Before taking on her current position at Sempio, Choi worked as a chef in five-star hotels and as a researcher at the Spanish food research center, Alícia Foundation. She also co-wrote "The Korean Cookbook" (2023), together with chef Park Jung-hyun of New York City's Michelin two-star Atomix, and is the founder and CEO of Nanro, an esteemed community of chefs and industry experts dedicated to promoting Korean cuisine.
From tips on making your own jang at home to the best ways to incorporate it into your everyday meals, here is some of Choi's shared knowledge about the condiment.

Q. Is there a big difference between store-bought and homemade jang?
A. Jang manufacturers have mastered the technical aspects of fermentation, which can be a very inconsistent process. The taste is uniform and standard, catering to the majority's palate.
Self-made jang, on the other hand, can be less consistent. There is room for some personalization, and the cook can pick and choose which additional ingredients they want to throw in. So, there is a difference, but one is not above the other.
Can you give some tips to those looking to make jang at home?
The easiest jang to try at home is gochujang primarily because it doesn't require the whole meju, which is really tricky to make and ferment properly under the right conditions. Gochujang instead uses meju powder, which is available at supermarkets, along with its other highly accessible ingredients like rice syrup and gochugaru (red pepper powder).
Gochujang also has a shorter fermentation time of about three to six months, as opposed to ganjang or doenjang, which takes at least a year. It is best to ferment it inside a hangari, but a plastic container suffices as well as gochujang is less affected by temperature changes.
Why does jang go so well with everything?
The secret is in fermentation. The process creates an ideal balance of taste because it brings together all the different flavors as one.
How can jang be incorporated into Western dishes?
Jang pairs very well with Western cuisine. Doenjang is delicious when eaten with dairy products or fats like eggs, cheese and pizza. Gochujang goes especially well with proteins like seafood and meats because they bring up their natural flavors. Ganjang is great with cooked vegetables and meat. In Korea, we soak our meat - galbi, or beef short ribs - in ganjang for the beloved sweet and salty protein dish.
Sempio has been working for over a...

Read what today holds in store for you under the 12 signs of the zodiac, each represented by an animal. Our astrologer Cho Ku-moon explores saju (the four pillars of destiny) and geomancy for your prospects on wealth, health and love while offering advice on the direction of your luck and fortune. Check the year of your birth for today's prediction.
Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024 (Nov. 5 on the lunar calendar)
Rat

Wealth: fair
Health: good
Love: joyful
Lucky direction: east
1936: You might acquire something new.
1948: Life now feels better than in the past.
1960: It's okay to boast about your family or children.
1972: Your efforts may bring tangible results.
1984: Communication flows, boosting your productivity.
1996: Expect praise or a positive reputation boost.
Ox

Wealth: average
Health: average
Love: generous
Lucky direction: south
1937: Enjoy warm and comforting food.
1949: Prioritize healthy meals.
1961: Dedicate time to gathering useful information.
1973: Be the first to open your heart to others.
1985: Choose warmth over style when dressing.
1997: Appearance matters-focus on fashion.
Tiger

Wealth: spending
Health: average
Love: conflicting
Lucky direction: west
1938: Declutter items you no longer use.
1950: Generously use what you have instead of saving too much.
1962: Differences in opinions may arise.
1974: Avoid unnecessary conflicts; they're not worth the trouble.
1986: Opt for indirect approaches rather than direct confrontation.
1998: Patience is key.
Rabbit

Wealth: average
Health: cautious
Love: frustrating
Lucky direction: west
1939: Spend a quiet, comfortable day at home.
1951: Visit a doctor promptly if unwell.
1963: Take care of your health; signs of strain may appear.
1975: Avoid overexertion or forcing outcomes.
1987: Neither ask for favors nor accept them.
1999: You may feel caught in indecision.
Dragon

Wealth: average
Health: average
Love: romantic
Lucky direction: north
1940: People matter more than possessions.
1952: Approach everything with love and care.
1964: Age doesn't matter when it comes to love.
1976: Show kindness to your partner.
1988: Even if it seems perfect, act cautiously.
2000: Cupid's arrow may strike unexpectedly.
Snake

Wealth: fair
Health: good
Love: happy
Lucky direction: south
1941: Your heart may be filled with joy.
1953: A happy and fulfilling day awaits.
1965: You may like everything about today.
1977: Savor the feeling of accomplishment.
1989: Achieving your goals will bring fulfillment.
2001: Luck is on your side.
Horse

Wealth: fair
Health: good
Love: joyful
Lucky direction: west
1942: Expect small but delightful surprises.
1954: Knock on doors, and they may open.
1966: Minor events may bring unexpected happiness.
1978: Maintain boundaries between work and personal life.
1990: The process may be tough, but the outcome could be rewarding.
2002: Giving or receiving gifts might brighten your day.
Sheep

Wealth: average
Health: average
Love: generous
Lucky direction: north
1943: Avoid cold food and take care of yourself.
1955: Cooperation fosters success.
1967: Don't overuse strong measures for minor issues.
1979: Avoid clinging to small gains and consider compromise.
1991: Build mutually beneficial relationships.
2003: Expect possible expenses today.
Monkey

Wealth: average
Health: average
Love: jealous
Lucky direction: north
1944: Family ties are deep and irreplaceable.
1956: With many responsibilities, challenges may increase.
1968: Balance discipline and rewards effectively.
1980: Turn competition into opportunities.
1992: Life is a survival game.
2004: Envying others is waste of time.
Rooster

Wealth: excellent
Health: strong
Love: united
Lucky direction: west
1945: Everything feels perfect.
1957: Family harmony brings happiness.
1969: Going with the flow may yield positive outcomes.
1981: Unite with others to achieve greater success.
1993: Collaboration leads to development.
2005: Teamwork will bring success.
Dog

Wealth: average
Health: average
Love: generous
Lucky directi...

This article is by Woo Ji-won and read by an artificial voice.

International media described South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration to be "one of the great political errors" while analyzing major reasons to have been the political challenges he was facing rather than external threats.
"South Korean president's declaration of martial law is 'frankly bizarre,'" John Nilsson-Wright, Associate Professor at the University of Cambridge told CNN. "People in Seoul seem 'mystified' by what the president's announcement means," the scholar said.
"It's a mystery because it does seem as if he has made one of the great political errors you possibly could make," said David Sanger, CNN's security analyst. Reflecting on his time in Korea in 1980, he added, "[Korean] people don't want to revisit that past."
International media outlets analyzed the major cause to be related to the recent political challenges the president was facing.
BBC reported that it soon became clear the incident has not been "spurred by external threats but by his own desperate political troubles," and quoted an expert who warned that the situation could be "more damaging to Korea's reputation as a democracy than even the January riots in the U.S.."
BBC suggested that Yoon's declaration was likely driven by his political turmoil - pointing to his political gridlock, low approval ratings and personal scandals including allegations of corruption involving first lady Kim Keon Hee.
British outlet Telegraph and Japanese news agency Kyodo news echoed similar doubts, with the latter suggesting that Yoon's move is likely aimed at addressing his "low approval rate of 20 percent."
Many media outlets referenced 1980, when martial law was last imposed in Korea.
"The president's move harkened back to an era of authoritarian leaders that the country has not seen since the 1980s," wrote the British newspaper The Guardian.
Similarly, The Washington Post revisited South Korea's difficult transition from military dictatorship to democracy, noting that Yoon's announcement "dredged up painful memories of how military rule was used in the country before it turned to democracy in the late 1980s."
The Washington Post further predicted that the martial law order, though it lasted only six hours, would have "wide-reaching ramifications in a country that has become known for its energetic democracy."
Korean media associations have been more explicit in expressing their concerns about Yoon's decisions.
Local Press labor union including Journalists Association of Korea issued an emergency joint statement early Wednesday morning, calling for Yoon's resignation. Korea News Editors' Association - which represents 74 media outlets including Korea JoongAng Daily - also demanded Yoon take responsibility for jeopardizing democracy in a separate statement.
Yoon - in an unannounced televised address on Tuesday - justified his martial law order by citing "anti-state forces that have paralyzed state affairs" and "North Korean threats," leaving many media outlets questioning the validity of his reasoning.
The resolution demanding the lifting of martial law was put to vote at the National Assembly, and the resolution passed at 1 a.m. Wednesday, nullifying the decree. Opposition parties including the Democratic Party of Korea submitted an impeachment bill against President Yoon Suk Yeol to the National Assembly on Wednesday.

This article is by Yoon So-yeon and read by an artificial voice.

The Democratic Party (DP) on Wednesday morning gave President Yoon Suk Yeol 48 hours to resign or face impeachment, following the shortest-ever instance of martial law in Korean history. The president's declaration panicked the market, tanked the currency and threw citizens into a state of confusion on Tuesday night.
Opposition parties put forward an impeachment bill on Wednesday at 2:40 p.m., giving National Assembly members between 24 to 72 hours to vote on impeachment if the members decide not to pursue an investigation through the Legislation and Judiciary Committee.
The most likely scenario for now is that the item would be brought to the plenary meeting on Thursday and a result would be reached by Friday or Saturday at the latest. If passed, it would be reviewed by the Constitutional Court and ruled on within the next few months, and, if approved, Korea would be heading to the polls to vote for a new president early next year.
During that period, the president's rights to power will be seized from the moment the National Assembly passes the impeachment motion until the Constitutional Court gives its ruling. Yoon has not made an official statement as of Wednesday afternoon, but the odds are seemingly not in his favor.
The parliamentary process
An impeachment of the president requires that the motion be proposed by over half of the total number of representatives of the National Assembly and be voted for by two-thirds or more of the total number of representatives.
There are 300 lawmakers in Korea, meaning that 151 or more representatives need to propose the bill, and it needs to be approved by 200 or more representatives for the Constitutional Court to start reviewing the impeachment motion.

The ruling People Power Party (PPP) has 108 seats in the National Assembly, and the Democratic Party (DP) has 170. Should the DP succeed in forming an alliance, then it will only need to convince eight more representatives from the PPP to fulfill the requirements for an impeachment motion at the parliamentary level.
There were 18 PPP lawmakers out of the 190 that voted to lift the state of emergency martial law and are known for being supportive of Han Dong-hoon, the PPP leader who called Yoon's move "wrong."
"There's no guarantee that the DP will be able to get the eight more votes it needs from the PPP," said a former National Assembly Research Service official who wished to remain anonymous.

"There's a reason why the law has made it difficult to pass a presidential impeachment motion, and it's on purpose. We have to be very careful with impeachments, but it seems as though both sides are abusing all the powers they have."
Still, if the National Assembly passes the impeachment bill, then Yoon will not be able to exercise his presidential power, starting as early as this Sunday. If this happens, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, will sit as acting president.
Yoon will not have to vacate his presidential residence immediately but will be asked to leave if the Constitutional Court rules to impeach him as the president of Korea.

Another impeachment motion
Korea has already seen presidential impeachment motions in the past, with the impeachment case of the late Roh Moo-hyun in 2004 and the country's first-ever presidential impeachment of Park Geun-hye in 2017.
In 2004, 193 out of 272 lawmakers voted for impeaching then-President Roh, but the Constitutional Court ruled against the motion three to six. For then-President Park, 234 out of 300 lawmakers voted to impeach her, which was approved by all of the eight Constitutional Court justices that were sitting at the time.

The Constitutional Court is then given 180 days, or around six months, to make a ruling, but the court is likely to push aside other items and concentrate on the impeachment so that it may be ruled on in only a couple of months.
It took the Constitutional Court two months - from March 12, 2004, when the Na...

This article is by Cho Jung-woo and read by an artificial voice.

Calls for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol intensified across the political aisle and the general public on Wednesday following his declaration of emergency martial law, which was lifted just six hours after it was announced.
On the same day, Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who had advised Yoon to declare martial law, apologized to the public and offered his resignation amid backlash over the martial law controversy.
Six liberal parties, including the Democratic Party (DP), submitted a motion to impeach Yoon to the National Assembly on Wednesday.
Later that afternoon, the defense minister tendered his resignation, apologizing for the confusion caused by the declaration of martial law.
"I bear the weight of responsibility as defense minister and deeply apologize for causing confusion and concern over the martial law," Kim said in a written statement.
"The soldiers who carried out duties related to the martial law did so under my orders, for which I take full responsibility."
Kim's resignation came immediately after the DP's submission of an impeachment motion against him to the National Assembly.
Earlier in the day, the DP held a rally in front of the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, condemning the president's surprise declaration of martial law and demanding his resignation.
"The owner of this country is the public, and all authority exercised by the president and lawmakers comes from the people," DP leader Lee Jae-myung said during the rally.
"Such power must only be used for the benefit of the country and its people."
Lee criticized Yoon's decision, suggesting the president may not be in a state to make "normal and reasonable" decisions.
"Based on what occurred overnight, his actions do not reflect those of someone fully responsible for the 52 million people and the fate of this nation," Lee added.
Yoon made the declaration of emergency martial law during an unannounced public address at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Yongsan presidential office in central Seoul.
He cited threats from North Korean communist forces and pro-Pyongyang antistate forces as justification for the declaration. However, the decree was lifted six hours later, after the Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, approved a motion to rescind it around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday.

DP floor leader Park Chan-dae argued that the circumstances and process of Yoon's declaration were unconstitutional, providing grounds for impeachment.
Cho Kuk, leader of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party, said Yoon had effectively qualified himself for impeachment overnight.
"He has committed acts of insurrection under Article 87 of the Criminal Act and treason under Article 7 of the Military Criminal Act," Cho said.
The liberal party further claimed that the soldiers who entered the National Assembly attempted to arrest its leader, as well as the conservative People Power Party (PPP) leader Han and National Assembly speaker Woo Won-shik, as seen through CCTV footage.
At the rally, DP leader Lee urged people to remain vigilant, warning of the possibility of another martial law declaration once the current situation settles.
The DP on the same day established a dedicated situation room to monitor the circumstances surrounding the "illegal" declaration of martial law and to prepare for the possibility of another declaration.

Conservative lawmakers also voiced strong opposition to Yoon's decision.
PPP leader Han publicly criticized the martial law declaration on Tuesday, calling it "wrong" and pledging to oppose it "along with the people."
After the National Assembly passed a resolution to lift martial law, Han expressed regret that such a situation had arisen under a ruling administration.
Both Han and PPP floor leader Choo Kyung-ho said they were not informed of Yoon's decision beforehand.
The PPP leader said the party would hold further discussions on the president's expulsion from the party, as t...

This article is by Lee Jae-lim, Cho Yong-jun and read by an artificial voice.

Less than an hour after Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, placing Korea under military rule, thousands of people had already assembled at the gates of the National Assembly, denouncing the decision with signs and banners.
For much of the crowd, spanning politicians, civic groups, journalists, YouTubers and civilians from all walks of life, the occasion marked the most chaotic six-hour political crisis Korea has seen in decades. But for Seoul's activists, it was just another Tuesday.
"We protest Yoon every week," a member of progressive civic group Candle Action matter-of-factly told the Korea JoongAng Daily.
As protesters began to gather at the complex in Yeouido, western Seoul, after the surprise 10:30 p.m. announcement, Candle Action members were already on the scene, distributing hundreds of placards emblazoned with the words "Impeach Yoon Suk Yeol" as if they'd somehow foreseen the extraordinary situation.
They'd had no such foresight, however - the signs were left over from another march for Yoon's impeachment the group had organized just a few days ago.
"The posters and placards we used in the early morning were leftovers from the Candle Action protest we organized last Saturday," the activist calmly explained, adding, "We usually request 2,000 to 3,000 per week from the printing press."
Slogans and signs weren't the only way in which the outspoken crowd - which had swelled to as many as 10,000 by 12:30 a.m., one observer told the Korea JoongAng Daily on condition of anonymity - voiced their defiance against Yoon's declaration, which legally placed news outlets under military command.
And they weren't the only element of the protest that seemed to materialize in seconds after the surprise. A network of YouTube channels and group chats brought thousands quickly to the scene, underscoring such infrastructure's centrality in Korea's modern politics.
The full 155 minutes of martial law, between Yoon's declaration and the unanimous vote to overturn it, were livestreamed by outlets and citizens alike. Politicians broadcast the scene inside of the parliamentary chamber, with the YouTube channel of National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik surpassing 600,000 viewers. DP leader Lee Jae-myung livestreamed himself as he scaled a wall in order to enter the compound, amassing 2.38 million watchers.

OhmyNews led the news coverage of Yoon's decree announcement with a peak concurrent viewership of 640,000, surpassing the 530,000 who tuned into MBC's YouTube channel.
Despite being physically scattered, anyone with a smartphone and internet access could connect to various online communities and join protests organized by different interest groups.
The DP sent text messages to its members at 11:37 p.m., asking them to gather in Yeouido to protest to the decree.

Members of progressive online community Clien urged users to gather in front of the assembly building.
"I'm in Bundang, but I'm heading over to Yeouido now," wrote one poster, a journey that typically takes over an hour by public transportation. "All because of one madman."
A Reddit poster applauded to the people who'd nimbly convened to show their opposition to the law.
"Korean citizens were blocking the entrance to parliament from the military," they wrote. "Those guys are heroes. They allowed parliament to end this [expletive] quickly."

This article is by Kim Jun-young, Choi Seo-in, Seo Ji-eun and read by an artificial voice.

The first declaration of martial law in 45 years by President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday night has raised serious questions over its constitutional legitimacy, potentially constituting grounds for impeachment, legal experts argue.
Yoon declared emergency martial law a bit before 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, which was lifted only six hours later, three and a half hours after the National Assembly unanimously passed a resolution to lift it. This was the first time since 1979 - following the assassination of President Park Chung Hee - and the 17th time in Korea's whole history that a state of martial law was declared.
According to Korea's Constitution, martial law can be declared in "time of war, incident or similar national emergency" when public order cannot be maintained. Historically, martial law has been invoked during significant crises, such as the Korean War and the May 16 military coup d'état. The Martial Law Act also specifies that emergency martial law can be declared when "there are belligerency or serious disturbances of social order that impede the performance of the administrative and judicial functions of the State."

Yoon justified his decision by accusing the opposition Democratic Party of paralyzing the government, with actions such as the impeachment of key public officials like the Bureau of Audit and Inspection chair and prosecutors, as well as drastic budget cuts.
Legal scholars criticized the move, arguing that it does not meet the constitutional criteria for martial law.
"The justification for martial law simply does not exist. This declaration itself is grounds for impeachment," Han In-sup, a professor at Seoul National University Law School, wrote on Facebook. He further warned that blocking lawmakers from convening could constitute insurrection by the president.
"Martial law is meant for situations where military or police forces cannot maintain public order," Cha Jin-a, a professor at Korea University Law School, told the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily. "Even if the [opposition] Democratic Party has limited the power of the judiciary, it does not justify this extreme measure."
Chang Young-soo, another professor at Korea University Law School, suggested the declaration could lead to impeachment if deemed an abuse of power.
"Misusing authority to declare martial law could be interpreted as an impeachable offense," he said.

The country's two largest judicial civic organizations issued a statement criticizing the move as unconstitutional and undemocratic.
In a statement, the Korea Bar Association argued, "We do not even feel the need to counter the president's claims that the current situation constitutes a state of war, armed conflict or a national emergency as defined by the Constitution.
"By declaring martial law and immediately shutting down the National Assembly, the president has physically blocked any efforts to demand the termination of martial law," it added. "This clearly reveals that the declaration is both substantively and procedurally unconstitutional."
The Lawyers for a Democratic Society, or Minbyun, filed a constitutional petition on Wednesday on the legality of Yoon's martial law declaration.
Minbyun argued that the declaration, along with the proclamation issued by Martial Law Commander General Park An-su, violated fundamental constitutional rights, including freedoms of assembly, association, speech and expression. The petition also cited infringements on the right to general freedom of action and personal dignity.
"This declaration and its subsequent measures have severely encroached upon basic democratic freedoms and human rights," Minbyun stated. "We urge the court to confirm the unconstitutionality of these actions."
The criticism continued within members of the judiciary and prosecution.
"What President Yoon has done amounts to an attempted coup that undermines Korea's con...

This article is by Kim Ju-yeon, Oh Sam-gwon and read by an artificial voice.

No retail supply chains were majorly disrupted by President Yoon Suk Yeol's abrupt declaration of martial law late Tuesday night, with early morning deliveries carried out and supermarkets operating as usual on Wednesday.
But Koreans, panicked and confused from the abrupt announcement, bought more daily essentials and foods like bottled water, instant noodles and canned goods, as well as necessities like batteries and medical supplies, according to data from the e-commerce and convenience store industry.
Under emergency martial law, the president can implement a curfew to restrict movement that could affect overnight logistics. The most recent martial law declaration, made 45 years ago, was also enacted during a time when a curfew from midnight to 4 a.m. restricted residents from freely moving around. The decades-long curfew was lifted on Jan. 5, 1982.
One convenience store chain's 4,000 branches near residential areas saw sudden spikes in sales from 11 p.m. to midnight on Tuesday compared to the same period a week before, sources told the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily.
Sales of canned goods went up 337.3 percent; ramyeon, or instant noodles, by 253.8 percent; bottled water by 141 percent; instant cooked rice by 128.6 percent; batteries by 40.6 percent; and medical supplies by 39.5 percent.
Data from two other convenience store chains also showed that customers bought more processed foods that could serve as emergency rations, such as canned goods, ramyeon and cereal.

The manager of a 24-hour convenience store in Eunpyeong District, northern Seoul, told the Korea JoongAng Daily he had "operated the store as usual," even after hearing President Yoon's declaration at 10:25 p.m., shortly after starting his shift.
While he had not seen a significant spike in sales of daily necessities or emergency rations, he said sales of alcoholic drinks had risen by 20 to 30 percent compared to recent days.
"Customers came in saying they 'couldn't sleep because they were too frustrated' and that they needed something to drink," the manager, a man in his 50s, said.
Shoppers crowded online marketplaces and 24/7 convenience stores. Superstore chains like Emart and neighborhood grocery stores, which typically operate until 10 p.m. or 11 p.m., did not see any disruptions or a noticeable change in sales made at the physical shops.
Daily essentials like rice, ramyeon and bottled water ranked second, third and sixth on supermarket Homeplus's online mall as of 1 a.m on Wednesday, while 11Street, which primarily sells clothes and electronics, also saw ramyeon trending in its searches around 1 a.m.

Coupang and Shinsegae's online mall, SSG.com, has been delivering goods without disruption since early morning, company officials told the Korea JoongAng Daily.
Food delivery services also saw no disruption. Major food delivery apps Coupang Eats, Baedal Minjok and Yogiyo are running as usual, according to the operators' respective representatives.
Online users took to community sites to share their accounts of the panic-induced shopping sprees.
One user shared on X, formerly Twitter, that they'd "bought 48 2-liter bottles of water in a hurry because I was worried that I might not be able to get out of the house."
"As soon as I saw the news, I thought I should definitely stock up on baby formula and diapers," a user said on a mom cafe, or online community for mothers, adding that they'd purchased "140,000 won [$100] worth of bottled water, detergent and tissues on Coupang."

This article is by Shin Ha-nee and read by an artificial voice.

Korean shares tumbled on a selling spree by foreign investors and the local currency fell to a two-year low on Wednesday, following overnight turmoil triggered by President Yoon Suk Yeol's emergency martial law declaration.
This additional layer of major uncertainty is further fueling skepticism over the country's growth outlook. While the short-term shock to the financial and foreign exchange markets appears to have relatively subsided, experts suggest that the ongoing political chaos, which is likely to only worsen for a while, may further hinder the already-weak recovery in domestic demand and investment sentiment.
The Kospi lost 36.1 points, or 1.44 percent, from the previous session to close at 2,464 on Wednesday, after falling as low as 2,442.46 about 40 minutes after the market opening.
The Korea Exchange, the country's bourse operator, initially considered suspending operations on Wednesday after the president declared emergency martial law at around 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday, but decided to open the exchange as usual on a decision from financial authorities early that morning.

Trading volume was heavy at 13.07 trillion won ($9.24 billion) on Kospi, with foreigners offloading shares worth a net of 406.5 billion won, reversing the previous session's strong buying of 564.5 billion won. Institutions picked up shares worth 16.73 billion won, and retail investors bought 337.9 billion won.
Losers far outnumbered gainers by 737 to 176, with Samsung Electronics shedding 0.93 percent to 53,100 won, and Hyundai Motor declining 2.56 percent to 209,000 won. SK hynix, however, rose 1.88 percent to 168,000 won.
The won-dollar exchange rate rose 7.2 won to close at 1,410.1 against the greenback as of 3:30 p.m. This marked the weakest closing rate for the day-trading session since 1,419.2 won was logged on Nov. 4, 2022.

The depreciation moderated compared to a steep plunge that followed Yoon's announcement overnight. During the previous session, the won-dollar rate peaked at 1,442 mid-trading, marking a 39.1 won jump from its closing price at 3:30 p.m., before it gradually stabilized to close at 1,425 at 2 a.m. Wednesday.
While the volatility spike overnight has calmed to a degree, some analysts pointed out that the incident's lingering impact may further accelerate the foreign capital outflow from the Korean market in the near term.
"Damage that this martial law incident caused to the trustworthiness of the Korean economy and financial market could have a huge negative impact on the won's value and the economy," said Park Sang-hyun, chief economist at iM Investment & Securities.
"Foreign investors have already been skeptical of [the prospect of] the Korean market due to policy uncertainties related to the incoming Donald Trump administration and China-related risks - and this new political uncertainty may further undermine their confidence in the domestic market," Park suggested.
"Though the martial law [declaration] seems to have ended as an overnight occurrence, there is remaining pressure nudging foreign investors to pull out of the market to avoid political uncertainties in the short term," Shinhan Investment & Securities also noted.
As the Korean economy has already been facing slowing growth momentum for the next year amid persistent internal and external uncertainties, the latest development may further hinder the weak recovery in domestic demand, said Joo Won, head of economic research at Hyundai Research Institute.
"This incident may weaken consumption and investment sentiment, not because of the declaration itself, but due to the political conflicts that will inevitably ensue," said Joo.
"The political tensions and conflicts will only grow worse from now on; this [uncertainty] can negatively impact companies' investment sentiment, as well as household consumption."
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, or OECD, lowered its growth forecast...

This article is by Park Eun-jee and read by an artificial voice.

The country's financial regulator is prepared to deploy a combined 50 trillion won ($35.4 billion) in funds to stabilize the stock and bond markets amid anticipated market volatility following the declaration of martial law the previous day.
The move, announced by Financial Services Commission Chairman Kim Byoung-hwan, followed the government's vow to provide "unlimited liquidity," if necessary, at a time when the main Kospi bourse and won have lost ground over the past weeks.
Out of the 50 trillion won, 10 trillion won is earmarked for the stock market, with another 40 trillion won allocated to the bond and money markets.
"We will have a 10 trillion won market stabilization fund ready for immediate release when needed," he said during Wednesday's meeting.
"The government will ensure stability by maximizing the use of a 40 trillion won fund designed to support the bond market and facilitate the purchase of commercial papers," he added.
The announcement was followed by financial authorities' decision to provide unlimited liquidity in order to address the market jitters.
The decision was made during the Emergency Meeting on Macroeconomic and Financial Issues, which began at 7:00 a.m. Wednesday in central Seoul, attended by Kim, Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, Bank of Korea Gov. Rhee Chang-yong and Financial Supervisory Service Gov. Lee Bok-hyun.
The market operated as usual as the turmoil overnight, triggered by the declaration, has gradually subsided due to the quick lifting of the decree.
The central bank's monetary policymaking committee agreed to expand the group of parties eligible for repurchase agreement trading during an emergency meeting.
To provide sufficient liquidity, the Bank of Korea allowed all financial institutions to sell their assets to the central bank, reversing its previous stance of limiting such transactions to certain banks and brokerages.
"The Monetary Policy Board will leave open all options and act on measures to stabilize the markets as risks linger in financial and foreign currency markets," the Bank of Korea said in a statement after its Wednesday meeting.
Bank of Korea Deputy Gov. Park Jong-woo characterized the current market situation as less volatile than it was at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic and the 2022 credit crunch sparked by the Legoland crisis.
"As the central bank has entered an easing cycle in running monetary policy, market volatility is less severe," Park said.
In terms of bond markets, however, the degree of fluctuation is similar, according to Park.
The Financial Supervisory Service also initiated a 24-hour monitoring system on Wednesday with a plan to communicate with foreign banks to protect the economy's fundamentals.
The regulator warned speculative traders against spreading false rumors in an attempt to boost or bring down certain stocks.

This article is by Kim Ji-ye and read by an artificial voice.

President Yoon Suk Yeol's sudden declaration of emergency martial law late Tuesday night has sent shockwaves in the entertainment industry with abrupt cancellations and postponements of scheduled promotional events and shows.
Two films released Wednesday - "Firefighters" and "One Win" - canceled their promotional events for their premieres originally scheduled on the same day due to "unavoidable circumstances."
For comedy sports film "One Win," actors Song Kang-ho and Park Jeong-min were scheduled to make guest appearances on an SBS radio show Wednesday morning but were abruptly called off, according to its host actor Park Ha-seon.
"I believe many would be exhausted after everything last night," the show's host Park said during the show while informing viewers of the cancellation.
"I can see comments, saying like 'I'm glad we could meet.' There are times when reality feels more like a film than the films themselves, but I truly hope this will end as a film."
Film "Firefighters" postponed its special screening event with the National Fire Agency set to be held in Sejong the same day.
Despite the Wednesday postponement, the film will still hold its weekend promotional events.
"To keep our promise to the audience, we will proceed with the weekend promotional events, including meet and greets, as originally planned," said the film's organizer.

MBC's Wednesday talk show "Radio Star" (2007-) canceled its scheduled airing due to a special news report program taking its slot.
The canceled episode features baseball player Choo Shin-soo, Koo Hye-sun, Kwak Si-yang, and chef Yoon Nam-no, also known as "Cooking Maniac" in Netflix's cooking survival show "Culinary Class Wars." The episode will be aired next Wednesday.
"Tonight's airing of MBC's 'Radio Star' at 10:30 p.m. has been canceled due to a special news report session. We kindly ask for our viewers' understanding," MBC said.
Actor Seo Hyun-jin postponed her interview with local reporters following the situation. The actor recently appeared in Netflix's mystery series "The Trunk" and was set to discuss the series and her role with reporters. It will take place on Friday instead, the organizers said.
The sudden situation also affected concert schedules in Korea, leading to uncertainty and confusion about whether they would proceed as planned.
Singer Lee Seung-hwan initially canceled his ongoing concert shows, dubbed "Like A Black And White Movie," earlier on Wednesday after President Yoon's announcement. The concerts kicked off on Tuesday and were originally scheduled to be held on Wednesday and Thursday.
However, he later announced that he would resume the concerts as martial law was lifted.
"I promise today, a day when we have a lot to share, that I will meet you all with deeper music and stories," said Lee on his social media account on Wednesday.
While cancellations and postponements disrupted the entertainment schedule, many events resumed as planned after martial law was lifted. This included concerts by Grammy-winning pop star Dua Lipa, American singer Charlie Puth and Japanese artist Yoasobi in Korea.
On Tuesday night, President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law to eradicate "antistate forces," the first time martial law has been enacted in 45 years. After the declaration, 190 lawmakers gathered at the National Assembly to vote on a motion to lift it. The motion was passed unanimously by lawmakers. Six hours after President Yoon's declaration, the Cabinet approved the motion, ending martial law.

This article is by Sarah Chea and read by an artificial voice.

Korean airline and tourism companies are suffering a sharp drop in shares Wednesday after countries like Britain and Israel issued travel warnings for the country, citing safety concerns deriving from the emergency martial law issued Tuesday night.
The sluggish market performances were driven by a potential downturn in travel sentiment that may throw a wet blanket on Korea's tourism industry, which was getting closer to fully recovering to pre-pandemic levels.
Shares of Korean Air, the country's flag carrier, slid 3.5 percent to close at 24,750 won ($17.5) Wednesday, while T'way Air plunged 4.6 percent to 2,705 won and Jin Air fell 3.4 percent to 10,830 won.
Travel agencies were also hit hard. Hana Tour, the country's largest travel agency, closed down 3.1 percent at 57,100 won, while Kosdaq-listed Mode Tour fell 1.8 percent to 10,210 won.
Smaller tour agency Yellow Balloon Tour edged down 1.5 percent to 4,780 won, while Very Good Tour plummeted 4.2 percent to close at 5,520 won.

Immediate after the declaration, Britain's Foreign Office issued a travel advisory warning British nationals who plan to travel to or are currently in Korea to "follow the advice of local authorities," adding that it is "deeply concerned by the events."
The U.S. and Canadian governments also issued similar alerts urging their nationals to "exercise caution" as the "situation remains fluid" even after the law was lifted.
The U.S. Embassy said it will halt visa application acceptance and maximize telework for U.S. nationals in Korea and limit in-person school attendance for the children of U.S. Embassy staff.
Israel even advised all Israelis planning to visit Korea to "consider the necessity of visiting the country."
"The martial law declaration harms the country's image and certainly influences foreign tourists to eliminate Korea from their travel wish list," said tourism professor Kim Nam-jo from Hanyang University, adding that it raises the awareness of Korea "hindering" freedom, which must be the "most fundamental condition behind travel."
"Korea is a divided country with no peace treaty officially ending the Korean War, and the recent issuance of martial law will make foreigners shun the country."

It is likely to pour cold water on the recently growing number of overseas tourists to Korea on the back of the popularity of K-content like K-pop and Korean dramas.
The number of tourists totaled 13.74 million this year through the end of October, up 54.7 percent from the same period last year, reaching around 94 percent of the total in 2019 during the same period.
It recorded 1.46 million in September alone, surpassing the monthly pre-pandemic average.
"We are cautiously monitoring the situation regarding potential ticket cancellations," a spokesperson for Korean Air told the Korea JoongAng Daily, adding that their aircraft are so far in full operation.
Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol unexpectedly declared emergency martial law at around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday citing the need to eradicate "antistate forces," which then was reversed six hours later when the National Assembly voted unanimously to lift it.
This marked the first declaration of martial law in Korea in 45 years and the 17th in its history.

This article is by Jin Eun-soo and read by an artificial voice.

Emergency meetings were convened, major government-industry talks were indefinitely postponed and media events were canceled after President Yoon Suk Yeol briefly imposed martial law on Tuesday night.
In the aftermath of the declaration - the first imposition of martial law in Korea in 45 years - the business community moved swiftly to mitigate potential risks. Companies canceled events and monitored market conditions closely.
SK Group held an emergency meeting Wednesday morning, gathering top executives from its affiliates under the directive of Chey Chang-won, head of the group's highest decision-making body. The discussion focused on responding to increased volatility in stock and foreign exchange markets.
LG Electronics advised employees at its Seoul headquarters in Yeouido, western Seoul, to work from home, citing expected traffic disruptions near the National Assembly, located only a short distance away.
HD Hyundai also convened an emergency meeting on Wednesday morning to prepare for potential economic turbulence. Chairman Kwon Oh-gap emphasized the need for vigilance in managing currency fluctuations and other financial risks.
"The heads of each affiliate should approach this with the urgency of an emergency management situation," Kwon told executives. "At manufacturing sites, such as shipyards, extra care is needed to prevent safety incidents."
Samsung Electronics stated it was closely monitoring developments but had not convened additional emergency meetings specifically related to the martial law declaration.
IT firms Naver and Kakao were on high alert as both of their portals experienced technical glitches the night before due to sudden traffic surge. Kakao initiated an emergency responsive system Tuesday night while Naver also operated a hot line between leadership and employees to prevent additional outages, according to local reports.
Kakao said it held an emergency meeting on Wednesday morning with CEO Jung Shin-a in attendance.
In a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok Wednesday, leaders of six business organizations in Korea requested the government's close attention to ensure a stable business environment for Korean companies amid heightened uncertainties from the transition of administration in the United States.
The crisis also disrupted key events.
A scheduled discussion on Commercial Act amendments, a pressing issue for Korean companies, was canceled. A planned meeting between the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and Korea's semiconductor industry, intended to address new U.S. export curbs on premium AI chips, was delayed indefinitely.
Media events planned weeks in advance were also scrapped at the last minute.
Jaguar Land Rover canceled a new model launch event slated for Thursday, citing security concerns. MBK Partners called off a press briefing where it intended to explain its plan for managing Korea Zinc with some 100 reporters as well due to political and market uncertainties.
The declaration caused the Korean won to plummet against the U.S. dollar, which surged overnight to 1,446.5 won from 1,400.5 won prior to the announcement.

This article is by Lee Tae-hee and read by an artificial voice.

For foreigners in Korea, the six-hour period when martial law was in place was filled with worried calls from families back home and questions about whether they should immediately book flights out of the country.
"As soon as I saw the news, I called [my mom], and when she called back, she told me to get a ticket out - even to Thailand," said Uli Ana Dukach from Ukraine. "She said I could get one for Friday, and even if I don't get on the plane, I should have the ticket just in case something really happens."
Following President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dukach received frantic calls from her family. With relatives in Ukraine and some in Georgia, national security issues related to North Korea had already been a source of concern for her mother.
Although her family was worried, Dukach reassured them that she was safe after learning more about the situation.
"After reading more in-depth articles about the issue, I've been telling my friends and family that the president is just having a temper tantrum and that it's OK," said Dukach.
Mihura Maite from Argentina also contacted her family immediately to let them know she was safe.
"I'm from Argentina, and I lived through a similar situation in the early 2000s, though I was a child," said Maite. "My first thought was that we need to stay home, be prepared and get provisions."
"Also, we're foreigners, and we should avoid being in any situation that could put us in danger."
Getting accurate information in the fast-paced situation was crucial, and many turned to international communities for updates.
Maite was part of a group chat with Argentines living in Korea, which included members of the Argentine embassy. Throughout the night, participants shared updates and confirmed their safety.
Paul Wilson, a Yonsei University student who had been in Korea for only four months, was also contacted by school officials.
"About four or five of my friends got calls from their families last night," said Wilson. "But our respective programs also reached out to inform us about the implications of being a foreigner in a country under martial law."
Announcements came from various embassies, including the Philippine embassy in Korea. The British Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office also issued guidance, advising citizens to avoid large public gatherings, especially in areas like Gwanghwamun in central Seoul, near the presidential office in Yongsan District, central Seoul and the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul.
For international students, another pressing concern was whether classes would proceed as scheduled on Wednesday.

"On social media, people were saying how other universities were canceling classes and even announcing that exams were over," said Yoselyn, a student at Ewha Womans University. She decided to attend classes on Wednesday after martial law was nullified.
The National Assembly's resolution to lift martial law, passed around 1 a.m., signaled to many students that classes and exams would proceed as usual.
"One moment, I was wondering if I should go to school tomorrow, and the next, the National Assembly had unanimously voted to nullify martial law," said Jeremiah. "It was a relief."
KAIST was one of the few universities to officially address the situation. University President Lee Kwang-hyung advised students to "focus on their studies and research as planned" on Wednesday. The university had originally scheduled an emergency meeting about martial law but canceled it after the resolution.
Amid the chaos, many were surprised by how quickly the National Assembly repealed the martial law.
"I come from a country that recently had martial law - the Philippines," said Isabella. "For us, it lasted a long time. But seeing how quickly people reacted here in Korea, I thought they demonstrated democracy very effectively."
However, concerns remain, especially for those ex...

This article is by Lee Soo-jung and read by an artificial voice.

The unexpected declaration of martial law on Tuesday evening evoked worldwide concerns and reactions, prompting close monitoring by the United Nations.
During a daily press briefing held in New York, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the secretary-general, said the organization is "watching the situation very closely and with concern," also noting that "the situation is evolving quickly."
Neighboring and faraway Atlantic countries also took safety measures for their nationals in Korea over the unforeseen martial law imposition, the first invocation since the last emergency martial law was declared in October 1979 following the assassination of former President Park Chung Hee. It was expanded across the nation ahead of the May 18, 1980, democratization movement in Gwangju during the Chun Doo Hwan regime.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba stated that his office is "watching [the situation] with serious and particular concern," according to the Japan News. Tokyo added that the government is "taking all possible measures to ensure the safety of Japanese people."
The Chinese Embassy in Seoul also asked its nationals staying in Korea to be cautious when expressing their political views and to reduce unnecessary travel to or inside Korea. In a notice uploaded on WeChat on Wednesday, the embassy also advised Chinese citizens to take extra precautions for their safety even after the martial law was no longer effective, informing them that they could return to their daily lives.
The Malaysian Foreign Ministry recommended its nationals register their presence through an online consular platform for timely assistance, if needed.
Britain also called on Korea to reach a peaceful resolution to the situation in accordance with the law and the Constitution.
British Foreign Minister for the Indo-Pacific Catherine West said her country is "deeply concerned by the events in South Korea" on Tuesday. In her statement, West added that the British Embassy in Seoul "continues to monitor developments and is in touch with Korean authorities."

The Canadian government warned its nationals of potential demonstrations in Korea in its online announcement titled "updated information on emergency martial law" after the order was lifted.
Canadians are instructed to "avoid demonstrations and large gatherings, monitor local media for the latest information and follow the instructions of local authorities, including curfew orders [if any]."
The Kremlin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov, representing Russian President Vladimir Putin, said the situation in Korea was "concerning," noting his office is "watching closely," according to Moscow-based Interfax news agency.
The overnight martial law hassle also impacted scheduled diplomatic events.
A Swedish delegation consisting of Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and his Cabinet members that was set to visit Korea later this week decided not to come as scheduled.
"With recent developments, we have concluded that it is better to travel to the Republic of Korea in the future," said Kristersson's office, adding that it closely monitored the martial law conditions.
According to a statement distributed to reporters, the Swedish government "welcomed" the decision to lift the order "in the spirit of the rule of law." It added that "political differences are best solved through democratic processes in democratic societies."

This article is by Lim Jeong-won and read by an artificial voice.

With many arguing that President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law sets Korean democracy back and is another example of global democratic backsliding, experts caution that it will take time to assess how Korea's overall democratic path and political stability will progress hereinafter.
Yoon declared emergency martial law on Tuesday at around 10:30 p.m., and six hours later, the National Assembly unanimously passed a resolution to lift it, ending the first martial law in 45 years within the course of one night.
Observers inside and outside Korea have decried Yoon's move and voiced concerns over the democratic situation in the country. While it is too early to tell, historically, the positives outweigh the negatives for Korean democracy, according to experts.
"In a consolidated democracy - usually considered democracies that have withstood over three decades - like Korea, the fact that this has happened itself increases skepticism about the robustness of democratic regime," said Song Wonjun, assistant professor of political science at Hanyang University. "However, considering that the constitutional crisis this year was peacefully overcome, that the military did not actively respond following the declaration of martial law and that both the ruling and opposition parties jointly passed the resolution to lift it are all positive indicators."
What to watch out for in terms of determining the outlook for Korean democracy at this point is whether there will emerge political leaders who do not take this incident seriously and try to pass it over, and whether there were any intentional obstructions in the participation of the National Assembly vote that took place in the early hours of Wednesday, according to Song.
The nature of the military's involvement in Tuesday to Wednesday's martial law also poses implications, said Song.
"It seems that the majority of the Korean military, including commanders and actual troops, were not fully active in their roles and that actual mobilization was minimal," Song observed. "The troops that had been dispatched to the National Assembly were sequentially withdrawn after the resolution to lift was passed. I think this is a positive signal in terms of civilian control and democratic norms.
"In order for the military to successfully intervene in domestic politics, either the military should believe that its corporate interests are severely threatened, or many personal loyalists should have been appointed as the commanders and mid-level officers of important units," emphasized Song.
Song further pointed out that in light of these considerations of civil-military relations, Yoon's decision-making process itself was very "perplexing."
The people's trust in public processes and the forces involved in the declaration of martial law will decline, while trust in government agencies and the military will likely change depending on subsequent legal rulings, punishments or institutional changes that may come.
Putting yesterday's situation in Korea into the wider perspective of global democratic backsliding and autocratization, as this incident was not something that occurred gradually, it can be evaluated as something closer to a "self-coup" than anything else, said Song.
"While it is true that democratic backsliding or autocratization is occurring in some consolidated democracies, when we look at the data, such phenomenon usually occurs sequentially or incrementally in the form of attacks against judiciary independence, which was not the case in Korea this time," said Song. "Ultimately, though positive and negative indicators exist simultaneously, the democratic path and political stability of Korea will proceed consistently."

This article is by Park Hyun-ju, Lim Jeong-won, Michael Lee and read by an artificial voice.

President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of emergency martial law on Tuesday was carried out without prior notice, even to the United States, drawing concerns that it will not only have negative repercussions on the South Korea-U.S. alliance but will also inevitably damage Seoul's overall diplomatic power.
After Yoon's declaration of emergency martial law around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, the U.S. effectively demanded the swift lifting of martial law and expressed "grave concern," with the White House's first response showing a mixed reaction of bewilderment.
U.S. President Joe Biden was reportedly briefed on the situation in South Korea during his visit to Angola, and since then, the American government sent messages to Seoul at all levels to comply with the National Assembly's resolution to lift the martial law.
Early Wednesday morning martial law was officially lifted just six hours after Yoon's initial declaration thanks to the unanimous passing of a National Assembly resolution.
"It is our hope and expectation that the laws and regulations of a particular country are abided by, by that particular country," said Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson of the U.S. State Department in a press briefing on Tuesday local time.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell also said in his comments before the martial law was ultimately lifted that Washington hopes "any political disputes will be resolved peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law," but also expressed "grave concern" over the imposition of martial law.
When martial law was lifted around 4:27 a.m. Wednesday, a White House National Security Council spokesperson expressed that the U.S. was "relieved" that Yoon had backtracked on his "concerning" decision to declare it.
In an unattributed statement, the spokesperson also emphasized that "democracy is at the foundation of the U.S.-ROK alliance," referring to South Korea by its official name the Republic of Korea, and added Washington "will continue to monitor the situation."
The fact that the U.S. repeatedly used the expression "concerned" regarding domestic situations in South Korea is seen as unusual and a testament to the gravity of the situation.
"The U.S. is very negative about the mobilization of the military in a free democratic country and is strongly wary of situations where North Korea could take advantage of the chaos in South Korea to make provocations," said Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University. "The expression 'grave concern' mentioned by Deputy Secretary Campbell is the maximum expression the U.S. can use regarding the domestic situation of its allies."
The U.S. reportedly showed even more sensitive reactions behind the scenes, according to sources.
"Washington reacted extremely sensitively to the news of martial law," said an American government source. "We inquired about the situation and future developments in Seoul through various channels, but there was no proper response at all."
Considering the geopolitical location of the Korean Peninsula, the U.S. may have considered a worst-case scenario of added chaos to the tensions with North Korea and China.
The U.S. Embassy in Seoul in fact posted an "emergency information alert" on its website Wednesday, announcing that it would cancel all consular services for its citizens and visa applications.
In a virtual interview with Yonhap News on the same day, U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg emphasized that the U.S. is "always on alert and prepared" for any potential provocations by North Korea amid the confusion created by the enactment of martial law.
"We are always prepared for any scenario, any kind of issue that might arise," Goldberg said. "Our commitment to the Republic of Korea, the alliance and the Korean people is unwavering and ironclad.
"We were concerned about the events of last night," Goldberg conti...

This article is by Kim Min-young, Yoon Seung-jin and read by an artificial voice.

Martial law in South Korea was lifted early Wednesday, but the anger, surprise and fear that it had stricken in the citizenry didn't dissipate with the darkness as the sun rose.
The cold morning air was pierced by the distressed shouts and furious faces of people chanting for President Yoon Suk Yeol's resignation in front of the National Assembly complex in Yeouido, western Seoul, to protest Yoon's sudden declaration of martial law on Tuesday.
Commuters hushedly murmured amongst themselves about the previous night's incident on Subway Line 9, which runs under the National Assembly complex. Some were talking quietly on the phone with their families, and phrases like "coup d'état" or the "spring of Seoul" were uttered by people with rigid expressions as they passed riot police stationed in metro stations and on the streets.
"I have been here since last night," said a protester in his 50s surnamed Song who was sitting in the National Assembly Station. "Democratic Party [DP] leader Lee Jae-myung asked the people to show up, and I had to answer to the call."
The liberal leader asked the populace to join him at the National Assembly complex early Wednesday, where he livestreamed himself climbing over fences to get into the building to vote on the resolution to lift Yoon's declaration.

"I thought we had to hold the line here, in case more people such as labor unions join our ranks," said Song. "I was worried something like this would happen, but anger is what I felt first as events unfolded."
A police officer attempted to stop a Korea JoongAng Daily reporter who was taking pictures of the scene in the National Assembly Station, asking for identification. The reporter didn't comply and exited.
The protesters were eventually given access to the National Assembly complex grounds around 11:10 a.m. The crowd quickly moved to the front steps of the parliament building in rank and file, settling on the front steps of the halls of Korean democracy. People who couldn't stand in front of the steps faced the protesters, holding pickets and placards demanding judicial reform and Yoon's resignation.

"I came here in a gesture of solidarity," said an office worker in her 30s, surnamed Seul. "I heard that the rally was at noon, and I decided to show up since my workplace is in Yeouido."
"I couldn't believe what I was seeing and hearing on the television yesterday. Even some people I know that used to support Yoon said this was a step too far."
The rally at Yeouido had an energized fervor, with people chanting "resign immediately," "down with Yoon," "democracy will be protected," and more. Various speakers took hold of a microphone, with one saying that Yoon shouldn't be president for "a single minute longer."

While the National Assembly complex was filled with feverish protesters and those who showed up in solidarity, people around Seoul who were carrying on with their daily lives expressed concern and fear.
Groups of people at Seoul Station in Yongsan District, central Seoul, huddled to converse in low voices. Some were glued to the TVs dotting the station showing the news about early Wednesday's events, hands covering their mouths with anxious looks in their eyes.
"As far as I know, the people want to cover politicians in [expletive]," said Lee Jong-man, a taxi driver living in Sejong. "Look, I am 70 years old, and I can't believe I have to still see something like this in 2024."

"I knew this was going to happen," said a man in his 50s who chose to remain anonymous. "Talks of martial law was always around, since the days of former President Park Geun-hye. I think the Myung Tae-kyun scandal has really put Yoon into a corner."
"People I know have different reactions according to their political leanings, but they all agree [the martial law] was out of the blue."
"It seems like a last-ditch, desperate move [by Yoon] to avoid being impeached," said Nam Eun-young,...

This article is by Kim Min-young and read by an artificial voice.

All military and police personnel were fully banned from entering the National Assembly Building on Wednesday.
"The National Assembly Secretariat has implemented a full ban on entry to the National Assembly building for personnel from the Ministry of National Defense, military forces, and the National Assembly Guard, including police officers, who unlawfully entered the premises," Kim Min-ki, parliamentary secretary general, said Wednesday in a press conference held at the National Assembly.
This came after some 280 troops mobilized under marshal law broke into the parliament after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law. The troops faced difficulty in accessing the parliament chamber due to a makeshift barricade constructed by aides.
"This is an urgent measure to protect the safety of lawmakers and ensure the functioning of the National Assembly," said Kim.
"National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik strongly demanded the withdrawal of martial law troops through the resolution calling for the lifting of martial law. The troops began withdrawing at 1:11 a.m. and fully left the compound by 2:03 a.m."
Kim strongly expressed his protest against President Yoon Suk Yeol.

"After declaring martial law, the illegal closure of the National Assembly, the unconstitutional and unlawful blocking of entry for lawmakers attempting to convene as per the Constitution and laws, and the use of military force to trample upon the National Assembly building have inflicted a profound wound on the hearts of the people," said Kim.
"I express strong opposition to the unconstitutional and illegal acts, as well as the physical damage and losses caused at the National Assembly building, stemming from President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law."
After Yoon declared martial law, troops deployed to the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, reportedly were of the Army Special Warfare Command (SWC).

Before withdrawing after the passage of a resolution demanding the lifting of martial law during a plenary session of the National Assembly early Wednesday, the martial law troops clashed with parliamentary staff. The special forces broke windows and entered the premises by climbing through them.
The SWC unit's emblem was visible on the left shoulder of the troops' combat uniforms, according to Yonhap News Agency. The soldiers were primarily armed with rifles and equipped with gear such as night-vision goggles.
In addition to digital-patterned combat uniforms, some troops were seen wearing black uniforms with camouflage-patterned tactical gear. Black uniforms are characteristic of the SWC's elite 707th Special Mission Battalion.

Some soldiers carried rifles with magazines attached, while others carried rifles without magazines. It remains unclear whether the troops were armed with live ammunition.
The troops appeared to have traveled to the National Assembly from their base by helicopter. Cameras also captured helicopters and light tactical vehicles near the National Assembly.
President Yoon declared martial law at 10:27 p.m. and immediately established a martial law command at the Ministry of National Defense with the Army's Chief of Staff Park An-su appointed as its commander.
However, approximately two hours and 30 minutes after the declaration, the National Assembly passed a resolution demanding the lifting of martial law. Yoon rescinded martial law about six hours after its declaration and dismantled the martial law command.
According to Democratic Party Rep. Park Sun-won, all external training of troops was canceled, and a standby order at bases was issued on Monday.
Park said that joint exercises and tactical evaluations were canceled on Tuesday, and preparations such as inspections of deployment gear reportedly began. Around 10:30 p.m. the same day, following the declaration of martial law, mobile phones were immediately confiscated.
"It is presumed that live ammuniti...

This article is by Lim Jeong-won And Jim Bulley and read by an artificial voice.

Q: What happened on Tuesday night?
A: President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law at around 10:30 p.m., a decision that was reversed six hours later when the National Assembly unanimously voted to lift it. This marked the first declaration of martial law in Korea in 45 years and the 17th in its history.
Q: Why did Yoon declare martial law?
A: Yoon's administration has been under significant strain since the opposition Democratic Party further cemented control of the National Assembly in April. His policies have been blocked, and his approval rating has plummeted below 20 percent amid corruption scandals. Experts suggest the martial law move reflects his growing frustration with the legislature and political deadlock.

Q: Was the martial law declaration legal?
A: Experts argue it likely wasn't. The Korean Constitution allows martial law only under extreme conditions, such as wartime or emergencies requiring military intervention, which didn't apply. There's also a question of whether Yoon followed proper procedures, like consulting his ministers in advance.
Q: How did the National Assembly and public respond?
A: The National Assembly acted swiftly, convening within an hour to pass a resolution lifting the martial law. The public response was also rapid - over 200 protesters gathered near the Assembly building to oppose the move. Experts say this reaction demonstrates the strength of Korea's democratic institutions.

Q: What does this mean for Yoon's presidency?
A: Calls for Yoon's impeachment are growing, and even his own party, the People Power Party, is discussing his potential expulsion and replacing key officials, including Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun. The incident highlights a lack of preparation and political foresight on Yoon's part, according to experts.
Q: Does this signal a deeper problem for Korean democracy?
A: Opinions are divided. Some experts see this as a troubling sign of executive overreach and democratic backsliding. Others, like Kang Won-taek of Seoul National University, view the swift rejection of Yoon's decision by the National Assembly as proof of Korean democracy's resilience. However, increased political uncertainty is a likely consequence in the short term.
For more in-depth analysis, click here.

This explainer was summarized into a Q&A format using Generative AI based solely on reporting from Korea JoongAng Daily reporters. The GenAI summarization was fact-checked and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.

This article is by Sarah Kim and read by an artificial voice.

In a tumultuous night for South Korea, President Yoon Suk Yeol unexpectedly declared emergency martial law to eradicate "antistate forces" late Tuesday, drawing both political and public outrage.
Six hours later, the Cabinet early Wednesday approved of a motion to lift the emergency martial law after the National Assembly passed a resolution requesting the lifting of the emergency martial law.
A little before 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Yoon gave an unannounced public address at the Yongsan presidential office in Seoul, declaring a decree last invoked during a military regime.
This marked the first time in some 45 years that martial law has been declared in South Korea.
Lawmakers across the political aisle immediately voiced their shock, and three hours after Yoon's proclamation, the National Assembly passed a resolution requesting the lifting of the emergency martial law.
The motion was passed early Wednesday with all 190 lawmakers present in favor. This included 18 conservative People Power Party (PPP) lawmakers in a 300-seat parliament controlled by the liberal Democratic Party (DP).
National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik called the martial law "null and void," assuring the public to "be at ease" as he vowed that parliament will safeguard democracy. He called on the police and military to immediately exit parliamentary grounds.

Yoon announced in a public address at 4:27 a.m. Wednesday that he will hold a Cabinet meeting to lift the emergency martial law.
He said in the second televised public address over the course of several hours that troops deployed to carry out the martial law decree have been withdrawn.
"At 11 p.m. last night, I declared martial law with a resolute will to save the country against antistate forces that are trying to paralyze the essential functions of the country and destroy the constitutional order of liberal democracy," said Yoon in a televised address early Wednesday.
Yoon's acceptance of the parliamentary motion came after police barred the National Assembly complex gates and military troops entered the building while hundreds of people gathered outside to protest the decree.
Martial law has been declared a total of 16 times in South Korea prior to Tuesday, and emergency martial law proclaimed 12 times. The last emergency martial law was declared in October 1979, following the assassination of former President Park Chung Hee. It was expanded across the nation ahead of the May 18, 1980, democratization movement in Gwangju during the Chun Doo Hwan regime.
"I declare martial law to protect the Republic of Korea from the threats of North Korean communist forces, to immediately eradicate the unscrupulous pro-Pyongyang antistate forces that pillage the freedom and happiness of our people and to protect free constitutional order," Yoon said in Tuesday's emergency briefing at the presidential office.
"Through emergency martial law, we will rebuild and protect the free Republic of Korea, which is falling into ruin."
In the televised address, Yoon vowed to "eradicate such antistate forces and the culprits of the country's ruin, who have committed evil acts up until now."
He said the move will "guarantee the people's freedom, safety and national sustainability against the actions of antistate forces seeking to overthrow the system," calling it an "inevitable" measure.

The move comes after the DP, which holds a parliamentary majority, railroaded a downsized budget bill in the National Assembly's special budget committee last week. It also submitted impeachment motions against the chief of the state audit agency and chief prosecutor.
In Tuesday's address, Yoon criticized the DP, accusing the party of holding a "legislative dictatorship," also referring to 22 impeachment attempts against administration officials by the DP since he took office in May 2022.
Possibly mindful of the optics of the declaration abroad, Yoon stressed, "There is no change in So...

This article is by Lim Jeong-won and read by an artificial voice.

The United States Embassy in Korea issued an emergency alert Wednesday to American citizens in the country, warning that the situation following Tuesday's emergency martial law is "fluid" and advising safety precautions.
Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared emergency martial law late Tuesday night, which was lifted six hours later after a resolution was passed unanimously by the National Assembly.
"Following President Yoon's announcement to lift the martial law declaration, the situation remains fluid," the U.S. Embassy said in an alert posted on its website. "U.S. citizens should anticipate potential disruptions. When in public, you should pay attention to your surroundings and exercise routine safety precautions."
The embassy also warned American citizens to "avoid areas where demonstrations are taking place and exercise caution in the vicinity of any large crowds, gatherings, protests or rallies."
Routine consular appointments and visa applications were canceled on Wednesday, according to the alert.

This article is by Cho Jung-woo and read by an artificial voice.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo on Wednesday emphasized the military's responsibility to prioritize public safety following the lifting of President Yoon Suk Yeol's six-hour emergency martial law earlier that day.
Kim made the remarks during an emergency virtual meeting with senior commanders on Wednesday morning, shortly after the Cabinet approved a motion to lift the martial law. The National Assembly had earlier passed a resolution requesting its termination.
During the meeting, the JCS chairman directed the military to maintain operational discipline and focus on its primary role of defending against North Korea. According to the JCS, he also underscored that any mobilization of military forces must occur under the direct control of the JCS.
Kim reportedly held a phone call with South Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command Commander Gen. Paul LaCamera the same day, emphasizing that South Korea's military is maintaining a high level of readiness to counter potential provocations from North Korea.

This article is by Michael Lee and read by an artificial voice.

WASHINGTON - The United States is "relieved" that South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol backtracked on his "concerning" decision to declare emergency martial law, a White House National Security Council spokesperson said in Washington on Tuesday.
"We are relieved President Yoon has reversed course on his concerning declaration of martial law and respected the ROK National Assembly's vote to end it," the spokesperson said in an unattributed statement, referring to South Korea by the acronym for its official name, the Republic of Korea.
The spokesperson also emphasized that "democracy is at the foundation of the U.S.-ROK alliance" and added Washington "will continue to monitor the situation."
Yoon's declaration of martial law appeared to take Washington officials by surprise and set off a flurry of questions from reporters regarding the state of the South Korea-U.S. alliance at press briefings held by the State Department and Pentagon on Tuesday.
In the the American capital, where the short-lived overnight imposition of martial law in South Korea played out in daytime hours, officials assured reporters the bilateral relationship between Seoul and Washington remained "ironclad" even as they appeared to walk a tightrope between defending the alliance and encouraging Yoon to respect the National Assembly vote.
In his comments before the South Korean president reversed course, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said Washington hopes "any political disputes will be resolved peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law," but also expressed "grave concern" over the imposition of martial law.
Campbell said U.S. officials had reached out to their South Korean counterparts regarding the incident and noted that U.S. President Joe Biden, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken were being updated regarding developments in South Korea.
At a press briefing held the same day, U.S. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said it is Washington's "hope and expectation that the laws and regulations of a particular country are abided by that particular country," in response to a question about whether the U.S. government wanted to see martial law lifted in accordance with the National Assembly vote.
"Ultimately, we want to see these political disputes resolved peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law," Patel said, adding that "a vote in the legislature would be consistent with that approach."
At a separate briefing at the Pentagon held the same day, Defense Department spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters that the United States "was not notified in advance" about Yoon's earlier decision in response to a question about whether United States Forces Korea was contacted by the South Korean military that their forces might be engaged in some kind of enforcement of martial law.
Ryder told reporters at the press briefing that the imposition of martial law had "essentially no impact on U.S. forces" or their readiness posture.
He also said that the Pentagon is "not aware of any force posture changes" in response to a question about whether there are any indications that North Korea is trying or willing to take advantage of the situation in the South.

This article is by Sarah Kim and read by an artificial voice.

Presidential aides, including chief of staff Chung Jin-suk, tendered their resignations en masse Wednesday morning after President Yoon Suk Yeol in a surprise move declared emergency martial law the previous night.
Chung and senior presidential secretaries offered to resign, hours after martial law was lifted.
The resignations of the presidential aides appear to be an attempt to take responsibility for Yoon's declaration of martial law the day before.
In turn, Yoon canceled all scheduled public appearances Wednesday.
Yoon had been scheduled to hold a meeting on response to drug crimes at the Yongsan presidential office at 10 a.m., which was postponed, a presidential official said.
Around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday, Yoon gave an unannounced public address at the Yongsan presidential office in Seoul declaring emergency martial law to protect the country from threats of North Korean communist forces and pro-Pyongyang antistate forces.
Six hours after declaring emergency martial law, Yoon lifted the decree early Wednesday. The Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo approved a motion to lift the emergency decree around 4:30 a.m.

This article is by Shin Ha-nee and read by an artificial voice.

The financial authorities decided to provide unlimited liquidity in order to address the market jitters following President Yoon Suk Yeol's shocking emergency martial law declaration.
The market will operate as usual, as the turmoil overnight triggered by the declaration has gradually subsided.
The decision was made during the Emergency Meeting on Macroeconomic and Financial Issues, which began at 7 a.m. Wednesday in central Seoul, attended by Minister of Economy and Finance and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok, Bank of Korea Gov. Rhee Chang-yong, Financial Services Commission Chairman Kim Byoung-hwan and Financial Supervisory Service Gov. Lee Bok-hyun.
The attendees agreed to provide unlimited liquidity into the capital and financing markets until the situation stabilizes.
The won-dollar exchange rate, which soared as high as 1,444 per dollar after the announcement, closed at 1,415.80 at 2 a.m.

This article is by Sarah Kim, Lim Jeong-won and read by an artificial voice.

The Cabinet early Wednesday approved of a motion to lift the emergency martial law declared by President Yoon Suk Yeol six hours earlier.
Yoon announced in a public address at the Yongsan presidential office at 4:27 a.m. Wednesday that he will hold a Cabinet meeting to lift the emergency martial law.
He said in the second public address in six hours that troops deployed to carry out the martial law decree have been withdrawn.
"At 11 p.m. last night, I declared martial law with a resolute will to save the country against antistate forces that are trying to paralyze the essential functions of the country and destroy the constitutional order of liberal democracy," said Yoon in a televised address early Wednesday.
Yoon said that a Cabinet meeting will be soon held to officially lift his emergency martial law decree.
He added that "legislative manipulation, movement for impeachment and other outrageous acts" should come to a halt.
The Cabinet approved the parliamentary motion to lift martial law at around 4:30 a.m., the prime minister's office said.
On Tuesday night, Yoon unexpectedly declared emergency martial law to eradicate "antistate forces."
This marks the first time in 45 years that martial law has been declared in South Korea.
Less than three hours later, the National Assembly passed a resolution requesting the lifting of the emergency martial law.
The motion was passed early Wednesday with all 190 lawmakers present in favor. This included 18 conservative People Power Party (PPP) lawmakers in a 300-seat parliament controlled by the liberal Democratic Party (DP).
The vote came as police barred the parliament complex gates and military troops entered the building while hundreds of people gathered outside to protest the decree.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said that troops sent to the National Assembly withdrew as of 4:22 a.m., adding that no unusual movement from North Korea has been detected.