South Korea president faces impeachment after martial law chaos – live updates

British nationals in South Korea have been advised to avoid political demonstrations following the president’s declaration of martial law on Tuesday.

By early Wednesday, the president reversed the decision after a dramatic night in which troops surrounded parliament, and lawmakers voted to block military rule.

Yoon Suk Yeol vowed to eliminate “anti-state” forces as he suspended parliament, banned political gatherings and ordered the end of a long-running doctors’ strike on Tuesday.

Christopher McKeon looks into whether it is currently safe to travel to South Korea:

Many tourists in Seoul seemed largely unfazed by the political turmoil unfolding in the capital as they flocked Wednesday to the city’s largest palace, local landmarks and shopping streets.

Some awoke to worried text messages from friends and family, who heard the news about President Yoon Suk Yeol’s stunning martial law declaration Tuesday night. Yoon abruptly imposed emergency martial law, vowing to eliminate “anti-state” forces after he struggled to push forward his agenda in the opposition-dominated parliament.

But his martial law was effective for only about six hours, as the National Assembly voted to overrule the president. With the declaration formally lifted, tourists ventured from their hotels.

Early Wednesday at Gyeongbokgung Palace, the largest of royal palaces, tourists wore traditional clothing rented from nearby shops as they posed for photos.

Emma Basnawi, visiting from Indonesia, said she thought “something big might happen” when she heard about the martial law declaration, and was a little concerned. But riots and protests aren’t unusual back at home in Jakarta so she planned to stick to her itinerary as much as possible, she said.

Walking toward the palace with a tour group, Stephen Rowan, of Brisbane, Australia, said he wasn’t worried. He had asked a friend from South Korea to help him understand what was happening.

“I would have been concerned if martial law had stayed enforced,” he said.

Early Wednesday morning, police with shields arrived in the palace area, known historically as a popular protest site. But other than that, it seemed like a normal cold Seoul December morning.

Not far from the palace, tour groups wandered through the Bukchon Hanok Village, taking photos of the residential neighborhood and its many restored traditional houses.

Sales of essentials like instant noodles, drinking water, and canned foods surged late Tuesday night following president Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration, as citizens rushed to stock up in case of disruptions to their shopping routines, local media reported.

The panic buying began immediately after the declaration was broadcast at 10.25pm local time, with items flying off shelves at both online and physical stores, The Korea Times reported.

At convenience stores, sales increased rapidly. Between 11pm and midnight, one retailer saw a 75.9 per cent increase in canned food sales, a 37.4 per cent rise in bottled water, and a 28.1 per cent jump in instant noodle sales.

“The shopping rush was mostly active around residential areas and carried out by those in their 50s and 60s,” said a convenience franchise industry official.

Online platforms saw a similar surge. Real-time hot keywords on Naver showed “drinking water” jumping from 10th to 6th place in just one hour, while “milk”, “rice”, and “instant noodles” dominated searches on Homeplus’ website.

My colleague Namita Singh takes a look at who exactly Mr Yoon is:

Martial law is when military authorities temporarily rule in a time of emergency, when civil authorities are deemed to not be able to function.

Shortly after the president imposed martial law, CCTV footage revealed chaotic scenes where staffers used sofas and fire extinguishers to block soldiers armed with assault rifles and night-vision goggles from entering the national assembly.

The parliament moved quickly to annul the declaration, with 18 members of Mr Yoon’s ruling party voting with the opposition.

My colleague Maroosha Muzaffar reports:

South Korean defence minister Kim Yong-hyun — who reportedly requested the martial law decree — is facing impeachment and criminal charges of treason, The Korea Times reported.

The opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) is calling for the removal of Mr Kim, president Yoon Suk Yeol, and interior minister Lee Sang-min, accusing them of issuing an unconstitutional order.

The outlet reported that Mr Kim, who had previously dismissed the possibility of martial law, is now under investigation for allegedly plotting the decree soon after taking office.

The impeachment process and investigation into his role are expected to move swiftly, it said.

Mr Kim also offered to resign this morning over Mr Yoon’s failed martial law, the Reuters reported.

The political chaos has created deep divisions in president Yoon Suk Yeo’s ruling People Power Party as well, as its leader called for defence minister Kim Yong-hyun to be fired and the entire cabinet to resign.

The Defence Ministry has now said that Mr Kim has offered to resign.