South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has in the last hour declared emergency martial law. He says it is to protect the country from North Korea’s communist forces and to eliminate “anti-state elements.” Uh-huh…
Yoon has been a lame duck since getting trounced in April’s legislative election which saw his People Power Party get only 108 seats out of 300. The opposition has vowed to block martial law in parliament…
🚨🇰🇷WATCH: There is currently unrest outside the National Assembly building in Seoul pic.twitter.com/0Mrf3n0kP8
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Battles have raged over next year’s budget with the opposition forcing through measures it wants and Yoon unable to veto the money bill. The president is also mired in controversy over allegations of corruption surrounding his wife – the opposition attempted to impeach the head of the audit agency for failing to investigate. Members National Assembly have been banned from accessing the building as military and police swarm Seoul. Awkward for the other advanced economies…
UPDATE: Now Yoon says he will lift martial law. Oops…
Robert Jenrick told a rally on Monday:
“They say Chancellors are either undertakers or bookies. This one is an ostrich – and when the Chancellor buries his head in the sand, the rest of us, we’re left staring at his you know what.”