Unmindful Step

South Korea recently faced a very sudden undesirable political situation. The country’s President Yoon Suk-Yeol made an announcement about his decision to enforce martial law. While the decision was reversed within six hours, the President now is surrounded by the opposition party and the people who want him ousted. Even his own People Power Party has strongly opposed his abrupt undemocratic move.

Martial law, in simple words, is the mobilisation of military personnel when a country goes through certain emergencies like natural disasters or rebellions. This law mainly suspends all other laws and takes everything under its control. South Korea last passed this law nearly 50 years ago following the assassination of erstwhile president and military dictator Park Chung-hee. The enforcement of the martial law led to people demanding for democracy. And this gave rise to the Gwangju Uprising, where many people were massacred. Post such a tragedy, South Korea has established itself as a nation committed to democracy. 

However, when President Yoon brought back the idea of martial law, it caused panic to the majority of the people. The fresh step has reminded them of the past. It was reported that this announcement had affected the country’s economy and security situation. People had started bulk-buying and stocking items with the announcement of the martial law. The president’s main reason for applying this law is what he calls the non-state activities being carried out by the opposition Democratic Party while being in close alliance with North Korea.

But it is reported that there is no concrete evidence on this issue and that the President's decision stems from his own political troubles. In recent times, he has been accused of being involved in corruption scandals, including the First Lady’s ‘Dior Bag’ scam, and stock manipulation. Following the announcement of the new move, the military had entered the Parliament. But the opposition members had forcefully entered the parliament to reject the idea of enforcing the martial law. 

And now it has been halted after 190 of 300 members passed a motion requiring the law be lifted. This has further pushed the opposition and the public to demand for the President's removal. Terming the move as ‘unconstitutional’, the Democratic Party has already filed an impeachment motion in parliament. The defence minister has apologised for allegedly suggesting the use of martial decree and quit. Any law or policy that does not respect people’s ability to express freely cannot be in line with the true notion of democracy.

As people’s elected representatives, political party leaders have to show accountability towards them. They should not make use of shrewd ways to protect their own position and interests. This can jeopardise a country’s democratic norms and values and also decrease people’s trust towards the government. The objection shown by the opposition party and legislature can keep the executive power in check. And South Korea’s case highlights that when any one organ of the state is allowed to act arbitrarily, this can have negative repercussions on the state, its functioning and the people and their lives. 

So, political leaders must be mindful of their actions. People’s rights and freedoms should be protected at all cost and the government must refrain from taking any actions that violate them. Else, these kinds of situations can cause conflict and unrest which is very bad for a country’s economy. And most importantly, people have to be politically aware. Their awareness and concern can pressurise political leadership to move in the right direction and even rectify their decisions.