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ear·mark

n.

1) a characteristic or identifying feature

this car has all the earmarks of a classic

rail

v. (rail against/at/about) complain or protest strongly and persistently about

he railed at human fickleness

den

■ a place where people meet in secret, typically to engage in some illicit activity

an opium den

a den of iniquity

in ex·tre·mis

\ˌinikˈstrāmə̇s, ˌi(ˌ)nek-, -rēm-\ adverb

Etymology: Latin

: in extreme circumstances : in desperate case; especially : at the point of death

A Brief Martial Law in South Korea

Dec. 3, 2024 6:14 pm ET

South Korea’s democracy passed its biggest test in decades on Tuesday, as it quickly rebuffed a dubious declaration of martial law by President Yoon Suk Yeol. Lawmakers immediately voted 190-0 to terminate the order, and Mr. Yoon acquiesced, with his cabinet approving a motion to end martial law at about 4:30 a.m. Wednesday.

Mr. Yoon surprised the country with an unscheduled late-night speech in which he said he was declaring martial law to protect the country and “free constitutional order” from the “threats of North Korean communist forces” and eradicate “pro-North Korean anti-state forces.” He offered no details on those threats or to whom he was referring, and the order had the earmarks of a reckless gamble to rescue his sinking presidency.

Mr. Yoon won the office by less than 1% of the vote in 2022, and South Korea’s politics can sometimes seem as polarized as America’s. The opposition expanded its majority in the National Asse'ly in April’s legislative elections, and Mr. Yoon’s approval ratings are below 20%.

On Tuesday Mr. Yoon railed against the opposition’s budget cuts and lawmakers’ efforts to impeach government officials. He claimed the National Assem'ly had become a “den of criminals” and “a monster that collapses the liberal democracy system.”

But a budget fight doesn’t justify martial law that would put government in control of the media, restrict the National Assem'ly, and put the military in the streets. South Korea’s Martial Law Act allows such an resort only in extremis, such as a war or national emergency, or to protect security or maintain public order. Nothing like those threats are apparent.

It’s notable and encouraging that the head of Mr. Yoon’s own People Power Party denounced the “illegal, unconstitutional declaration of martial law that does not meet the requirements.” Mr. Yoon is a lame duck who can’t run again when his five-year term expires in 2027.

The border between South and North Korea is one of the most heavily militarized in the world, and some 28,500 American troops are based in the peninsula. Signs of disarray in the South, such as Mr. Yoon’s declaration, could invite a reckless military act by North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. With that U.S. presence in mind, the Biden Administration may have offered Mr. Yoon some pointed advice about the dangers of his declaration.

Even if the immediate crisis in Seoul has passed, the political fallout will play out for some time. Lawmakers may seek to impeach Mr. Yoon, with uncertain consequences. South Koreans sacrificed to preserve their freedom against the North and in the 1980s to end strongman rule. Tuesday’s events suggest the culture of democracy has taken root, which is reassuring in one of America’s vital allies in the Asia-Pacific.