SEOUL, December 3. /TASS/. South Korean police have stepped up security measures outside the presidential administration and the defense ministry’s office in Seoul’s Yongsan District, a TASS correspondent reported from the area.
At this point, however, no major public unrest comparable in size and scope to the ongoing protests outside the parliament can be seen in the area. Road traffic running from the parliament to the presidential administration was not obstructed, including on the road connecting the military museum and the governmental compound - a common site for rallies.
Hundreds of South Korean citizens are still protesting outside the parliament building.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday declared "emergency martial law." The president said he had imposed martial law because the opposition, which holds a majority in parliament, paralyzes the work of the executive branch of power by attempting to impeach its executives, including key figures in the government. According to the president, he introduced the measure to combat "pro-North Korean elements" and protect constitutional order. He also cited the opposition’s refusal to accept the cabinet’s budget proposal.
A number of governmental agencies summoned their personnel for emergency meetings. Democratic Party Chairman Lee Jae-myung, the country’s leading opposition politician, called the president’s decision unconstitutional. The party summoned its lawmakers to the parliament, currently cordoned off by the police. Later, Parliament Speaker Woo Won-shik overturned the president’s decision to impose martial law, declaring it invalid and illegal.