South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol proclaims martial law

A few days ago, more than 1,400 South Korean priests sounded the alarm bells for democracy by openly calling for the president’s impeachment. The clergymen call Yoon a "man of lies" and a "man of violence", “unable to understand his role and respect the power that the people have given him.” Political and media activities have been suspended, while police surrounded the country’s parliament.

Seoul (AsiaNews/Agencies) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol proclaimed martial law today “aimed at eradicating pro-North Korean forces and to protect the constitutional order of freedom.” The announcement was made during a late-night address broadcast live on YTN news channel.

This is the first time that martial law has been proclaimed in South Korea since the end of the dictatorship in the 1980s. The army has declared that political activities, including those of Parliament, are suspended, media have come under government control, and strikes have been banned. All doctors, including those who have been protesting against the government for months, have been called back into service. After the announcement, the police surrounded Parliament.

In his speech, Yoon, whose approval ratings have been increasingly sliding, did not mention specific threats from North Korea, but referred to the opposition Democratic Party, which has had a majority in parliament since April. In recent days, the Democratic Party had presented a downsized budget bill together with a motion to impeach an auditor and the chief prosecutor. This is not the first time the president referred to those hindering his political agenda as “pro-North Korean forces".

A few days ago, on 28 November, 1,466 South Korean Catholic priests published an open letter, sounding the alarm bell for democracy, openly calling for Yoon's impeachment. In light of today's events, the letter takes on special significance. Below, we publish its translation.

For “all have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God” (Romans 3,23).

It is said that everything that is hidden or concealed will be revealed sooner or later, and now the thousands and thousands of actions carried out in the darkness are emerging one by one. Anger grows out of control and people's impatience can no longer be ignored. Even Catholic priests cannot help but join the movement to denounce the political situation.

Even those who had insisted on saying "let's wait a bit longer" are now withdrawing their trust and expectations from the president. They are not doing it for personal reasons, but in the spirit of justice and respect – they are saying: “It's no good". We cannot allow the remaining half of his term to destroy the country and the people; therefore, they have come to the conclusion that "he cannot go on".

Priests share the same thought. The more they watch him, the more they realise that "if he wants [something], there is nothing he cannot do.” By now they are no longer surprised even by the most serious things he can do. So we ask ourselves: Why is he in this condition? It is not a question addressed only to him, but concerns the misery of human beings, who wish goodness but do not do it, and do not want evil, but end up doing it (Romans 7:19).

Why has man, who was supposed to embody God's salvation for the world, become the personification of evil, sowing harm and destruction? The words of the penitential psalm that we recite every Friday morning have never been so painful. “For I know my transgressions; my sin is always before me. [. . .] Behold, I was born in guilt, in sin my mother conceived me.” (Psalm 51:5,7).

In President Yoon Suk Yeol’s case, the situation is even more serious. He is a "man of lies", who denies what exists and affirms what does not. He eliminates everything that ought to be there and protects what should be destroyed. He is a "man of violence" who does not distinguish between what is good for everyone and what is harmful.

He is a “divisive man” who splits what should continue and scatters what should be united. He is a puppet of his own ego, unable to understand his role and respect the power that the people have given him. A leader who enriches only a small elite and condemns the rest to ruin. The Bible would describe him as the “fourth beast, terrifying, horrible, and of extraordinary strength” (Daniel 7:7).

The sacrifice and work of our heroes, who fought for independence, democracy, survival, and well-being, is fading. No matter how hard we try, our conscience and rationality fail to comprehend his actions.

We sincerely consider him worthy of compassion, and we pray for him. But “from their hearts, come evil thoughts” (Mark 7:21-22) that torment, contaminate and destroy South Korea incessantly, and we cannot remain silent. He abandoned the principles and common sense built up over five thousand years, denied humanity, and ridiculed God. He despised vulnerable people and destroyed the foundations of society, ultimately rejecting God and his kingdom. We cannot justify it for any reason. As baptised Catholics, we cannot help but correct and punish him for his evil deeds.

If he did anything positive, it was to show that "one" can save or destroy the whole. Just like the fire set at the Sungnyemun Gate, an act carried out by a single insane person. But if we speak of "one", we too, as a people, are a great unity. If South Korea is destroyed by this unbridled behaviour, we must ask ourselves what we will do with ourselves. Let us restore the nation, starting with each one of us. Moreover, as sovereigns, we not only have the right to elect, but also the right to remove those who do not perform their duty. It is not too late to make a decision. We must proceed with an impeachment that holds to account the president's failure to respect the constitution, defend the state, and promote the nation's well-being and peaceful unification.

The message we bring today is that if one blind man leads another blind man, both will fall into the pit, so we cannot remain indifferent. No one is free from the bondage of sin. Therefore, we must exercise love and mercy, retaking the humanity of each one firmly.

Let us pray for the Kingdom of God and for Democracy.

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• martial law
• yoon suk yeol
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• catholic priests