[Full Text] President Yoon Declares 'Emergency Martial Law'...Urgent Late-Night Address

Yonhap News

President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law on the 3rd.

On that day, President Yoon announced through an emergency statement at the Yongsan Presidential Office, "I declare martial law to eradicate pro-North forces and protect the free constitutional order."

The full text of the emergency statement is as follows

Dear fellow citizens, as your president, I appeal to you with a heart full of anguish. So far, the National Assembly has proposed 22 impeachment motions against government officials since the launch of our administration, and even after the inauguration of the 22nd National Assembly on June, they are currently pushing for the tenth impeachment.

This is unprecedented not only in any country in the world but also in the history of our nation since its founding.

They have intimidated judges and impeached many prosecutors, paralyzing judicial work, and have attempted to paralyze the executive branch through impeachment attempts against the Minister of the Interior and Safety, the Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, the Auditor General, and the Minister of National Defense.

They have also damaged the essential functions of the state by cutting the entire budget for national core functions, drug crime control, and public safety maintenance, turning the Republic of Korea into a drug haven and a state of public safety panic.

The Democratic Party cut 4.1 trillion won from next year’s budget, including 1 trillion won in disaster contingency funds, 38.4 billion won for childcare support allowances, youth jobs, and deep-sea gas field development projects. They even blocked improvements in military personnel treatment, such as salary and allowance increases for junior military officers and increases in duty pay.

This budget outrage is, in short, a mockery of the national finances of the Republic of Korea. The Democratic Party’s legislative dictatorship, which uses the budget solely as a tool for political strife, has not hesitated to impeach the budget itself.

Government affairs are paralyzed, and the sighs of the people are increasing. This tramples on the constitutional order of free Korea and disrupts legitimate state institutions established by the Constitution and laws, constituting a clear anti-state act plotting rebellion.

The lives of the people are disregarded, and the government is paralyzed solely by impeachment, special investigations, and the shielding of opposition party leaders. Our National Assembly has become a den of criminals, paralyzing the state’s judicial and administrative systems through legislative dictatorship and attempting to overthrow the free democratic system.

The National Assembly, which should be the foundation of free democracy, has become a monster destroying the free democratic system.

Currently, the Republic of Korea is in a precarious situation, as if it could collapse at any moment.

Dear citizens, I hereby declare martial law to protect free Korea from the threat of North Korean communist forces and to eradicate the shameless pro-North anti-state forces who are plundering the freedom and happiness of our people, and to uphold the free constitutional order.

Through this martial law, I will rebuild and protect free Korea, which is falling into the abyss of ruin.

To this end, I will surely eradicate the anti-state forces, the root cause of national ruin who have committed atrocities until now.

This is an inevitable measure to guarantee the freedom and safety of the people and the sustainability of the state from the uprising of anti-state forces aiming to overthrow the system, and to pass on a proper country to future generations.

I will eradicate the anti-state forces and normalize the country as soon as possible.

Due to the declaration of martial law, there may be some inconvenience to the good citizens who believe in and follow the constitutional values of free Korea, but we will strive to minimize such inconveniences.

This measure is unavoidable for the perpetuity of free Korea, and there is no change in the foreign policy stance that the Republic of Korea fulfills its responsibilities and contributions in the international community.

As president, I earnestly appeal to the people. I will devote myself solely to protecting free Korea, trusting only in you, the people. Please trust me. Thank you.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.