Seoul Proprietorship

In a move that shocked observers in the region and allies around the world, “South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in an unannounced late-night TV address on Tuesday and was met with defiance from opposition lawmakers in the National Assembly some 155 minutes later.”

+ “Yoon was voted into office in May 2022, but has been a lame duck president since April when the opposition won a landslide in the country’s general election. His government since then has not been able to pass the bills they wanted and have been reduced instead to vetoing bills passed by the opposition. He has also seen a fall in voter standing, having been mired in several corruption scandals – including one involving the First Lady accepting a Dior bag, and another around stock manipulation.” BBC: Why South Korea’s president suddenly declared martial law. These massive shifts can happen in the blink of an eye. Ultimately, the move was reversed because of opposition in the parliament and the streets. Will the US have a Congress that would oppose such moves here?

+ Here’s the latest from the NYT and CNN.

+ Related: Democratic senators urge Biden to try to limit Trump’s ability to use the U.S. military domestically.