South Korean bishops condemn ‘illegitimate’ martial law

“Unless there is an urgent need, the government and administrative procedures of a state should be carried out in a normal manner and be known to the citizens.”

President Yoon Suk Yeol’s short-lived declaration of martial law in South Korea on 3 December met sharp criticism from the country’s Catholic bishops, who urged him to take responsibility for what they described as a “procedurally illegitimate” decision. 

In a statement on 4 December, the bishops emphasised the importance of safeguarding democracy and called for an explanation and apology from Yoon. 

“Unless there is an urgent need, the government and administrative procedures of a state should be carried out in a normal manner and be known to the citizens,” they said. “The Catholic Church in Korea actively supports and stands in solidarity with the Korean people to protect our democracy.”

Korea’s National Council of Churches Korea also issued a statement on 4 December, saying the president’s “insistence on declaring martial law and plunging the nation into anxiety is an act that demands public apology and full accountability under the law”. 

They called the declaration “unconstitutional” and “a blatant suppression of citizens’ rightful freedoms and dignity”. It was “a challenge and betrayal of the democracy and peace that have been painstakingly cultivated under God’s grace, and we commit ourselves to fervent prayer and unwavering action to restore the democracy that has been achieved through the blood and toil of the people of the Republic of Korea.”

Buddhist leaders joined Christian voices to condemn Yoon’s actions, describing them as threats to the nation’s democratic fabric. “The president’s disregard for constitutional order is grounds for impeachment,” one leader asserted.

Although martial law was lifted six hours later, Yoon’s decision caused instability which continued to drive public protest. Tens of thousands of people gathered outside South Korea’s National Assembly in Seoul calling for his removal. There were candlelit vigils across the country. 

There was still deep shock at the imposition of martial law in South Korea for the first time in 43 years, without either war or equivalent national emergency. Yoon remained in office, however, because a bid to impeach him last weekend failed.

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