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South Korea revises martial law rules after political crisis

South Korea revises martial law rules after political crisis

BBC Newsa day ago
Yoon declared martial law on 3 December 2024 as his political troubles grew, from parliamentary deadlock to corruption scandals.
He claimed that the shock move would protect the country from "anti-state" forces that sympathised with North Korea, but provided little evidence to support that.
The crisis shook South Korea, which had endured decades of military rule before holding democratic elections again in the late 1980s.
Senior officials in Yoon's administration have been ousted and detained for their role in the December decision. Yoon himself was impeached and removed from office, and is now on trial for insurrection.
The months of political uncertainty left Yoon's ruling People Power Party in disarray. A snap election in June saw the opposition's Lee Jae Myung win the presidency.
At a press conference in Seoul on Thursday marking 30 days in office, Lee told reporters that his administration would seek better ties with North Korea - a departure from his predecessor, who maintained a tough stance on the Communist regime.
South Korean politics remains bitterly divided. When the parliament approved Lee's pick for prime minister on Thursday, the vote was boycotted by Yoon's party, which is now the main opposition.
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