# 2024 South Korean political crisis

On 3 December 2024, at 22:27 Korea Standard Time (KST), Yoon Suk Yeol, the president of South Korea, declared martial law during a televised address. In his declaration, Yoon accused the Democratic Party (DPK), which has a majority in the National Assembly, of conducting "anti-state activities" and collaborating with "North Korean communists" to destroy the country, thereby creating a "legislative dictatorship". The order prohibited political activities, including gatherings of the National Assembly and local legislatures, and suspended the free press. Separately, Yoon reportedly ordered the arrest of various political opponents, including the leaders of the DPK and his own People Power Party (PPP). This event was widely characterized by Korean politicians and news organizations, both international and domestic, as an attempted self-coup.
On 14 December, Yoon was impeached by the National Assembly following the second impeachment motion raised against him. This action came in response to Yoon's declaration of martial law on 3 December.

## Martial Law
### Events on 3 December prior to martial law declaration

At 17:00 KST, units of the Republic of Korea Army Special Warfare Command, including the 707th Special Mission Group, 1st Special Forces Brigade, and the 13th Special Mission Brigade received orders to prepare for operations at an isolated area. The 707th SMG received a message to prepare for conduct of a real-world operation by helicopter, and deployment on orders of Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun. They were told "The situation related to North Korea is serious", though an anonymous official reported there had been no movements by the North Korean military.
At 18:20, Korean National Police Commissioner Cho Ji-ho reportedly received an order from the Presidential Office to "be on standby". At a subsequent committee inquiry by the National Assembly, Cho claimed he had no knowledge of the martial law plan until its announcement. At 21:50, broadcasting networks received a message saying, "There will be an emergency government announcement, please connect to the live broadcast". However, journalists covering the Presidential Office were barred from entering the briefing room, where such broadcasts are normally made.

### Declaration of martial law

At 22:23 on 3 December, Yoon Suk Yeol began reading an emergency address to the nation, and at 22:27 declared martial law. He accused the opposition of being an "anti-state...den of criminals" and "trying to overthrow the free democracy" by impeaching members of his cabinet and blocking his budget plans. He asked citizens to believe in him and tolerate "some inconveniences", and also claimed that there was a North Korean conspiracy against the South Korean government.
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was allegedly sidelined in the decision-making process leading up to the martial law declaration, and discussions were kept private between Yoon and Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun. Kim is a member of the "Choongam faction", a group within Yoon's inner circle made up of graduates from his alma mater, Choongam High School in Seoul. Kim urged Yoon to enact martial law during a cabinet meeting shortly before the official declaration, in which a majority of the 19 cabinet members were "strongly against" the decision.
Defense Minister Kim then ordered a meeting with the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Kim Myung-soo. Yoon appointed Chief of Staff of the Republic of Korea Army Park An-su as his martial law commander.

### Election Commission raids

After martial law was declared, armed troops raided the National Election Commission (NEC) headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province (10 troops), one of its training centers in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province (130 troops) and the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission in Gwanak District in southern Seoul (47 troops). Civil servants' phones were confiscated.
Several operatives from the Intelligence Protection Group of the DCC with firearms and uniforms that were missing unit insignias and patches raided the server room located on the second floor of the NEC headquarters while the Special Warfare Command troops and National Police officers from Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency provided perimeter security at the building. Lieutenant General Yeo In-hyung, head of the DCC and another member of the Choongam faction who was criticized for admiring Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo, were behind the raid. Commander Yeo made a call to KNP Commissioner Cho Ji-ho about the NEC headquarters raid and Cho started supplying police forces for the troops.
Kim Yong-hyun stated he deployed troops to determine the need for an investigation into the NEC's alleged "election fraud" in the April 2024 National Assembly election, which was echoed by far-right YouTubers. However, these allegations by right-wing conspiracy theorists have been repeatedly debunked by the police. Rep. Lee Jun-seok of the Reform Party, mentioned that President Yoon repeatedly talked about election fraud while Lee was meeting him in his capacity as the leader of Yoon's PPP party, accusing Yoon of "being crazy" about conspiracy theories, and alleged that Yoon was surrounded by individuals who believed in conspiracy theories.
DCC martial law troops assigned to raid the NEC training center in Suwon questioned their deployment orders, and delayed their arrival by slowing their pace or pulling off at rest stops. On 9 December, Rep. Lee released a report stating that a DCC Brigadier General assaulted a Major for questioning deployment orders and forced him on a bus to seize the NEC servers. Rep. Lee also highlighted that some troops wasted time after arriving at the NEC, by eating ramyeon at a nearby convenience store, after judging their deployment orders to be illegal. Later the Brigadier General was identified as Kim Dae-woo, close associate of DCC Commander Yeo.
On 12 December, Yoon alleged, in a national address, that the NEC's network system was vulnerable to cyberattacks and hacking, resulting in election fraud. The president accused the NEC of invoking constitutional immunity as an excuse to avoid inspection of its internal system in 2023 and claimed that the National Intelligence Service discovered a North Korean hacking attack on the system. The NEC released a statement calling Yoon's allegation "baseless" and said Yoon's "raising suspicions of electoral fraud due to strong doubts amounts to self-denial of the electoral management system through which he was elected president". The NEC statement added that election fraud would require organized action from NEC aides, a breakdown of the security management system, and switching out identical amounts of actual voting papers, and called it "almost impossible". The NEC reiterated that raiding the offices of a constitutional body lacked constitutional or legal basis.

### Plans for mass detention of political figures

According to testimony by National Intelligence Service (NIS) Deputy Director Hong Jang-won to the National Assembly on 6 December, Yoon called him at 22:53 on 3 December and ordered him to help the DCC arrest his political opponents and that Yoon wanted to "use this chance to arrest them and wipe them out".
Hong testified that DCC Commander Lieutenant General Yeo In-hyung later gave him a list of individuals targeted for arrest which Hong could not recall completely:
* Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung
* National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik
* People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon
* Democratic Party Rep. Kim Min-seok
* Democratic Party floor leader Park Chan-dae
* National Assembly Legislation and Judiciary Committee Chair Jung Chung-rae
* Rebuilding Korea Party leader Cho Kuk
* Liberal journalist Kim Ou-joon
* Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Kim Myeong-su
* Kim Min-woong [ko], brother of Rep. Kim Min-seok and leader of the Candlelight Movement
* Former National Election Commission Chairman Kwon Soon-il [ko]
Han Dong-hoon, the leader of Yoon's own People Power Party, confirmed that he was on the list of targets and that Yoon had planned to jail arrested politicians in a detention center in Gwacheon, south of Seoul. Upon receiving Yeo's instructions, Hong said he thought the president had lost his mind. He refused to comply, citing the NIS's lack of resources and means to carry out such an order. Yeo reportedly outlined plans to arrest first and second-tier targets in phases, detain them at DCC facilities, and conduct investigations. It was later reported that a bunker designated as an operations center for potential North Korean attacks and a military police compound, both operated by the Capital Defense Command in Seoul's Gwanak District, were also considered as detention sites.
Yoon then fired Hong. The report alleged Hong was given the orders because NIS Director Cho Tae-yong had previously refused to act on Yoon's arrest list.
Troops were seen deployed in front of a building where Kim Ou-joon, the YouTuber and liberal journalist on the list of targets, created his videos. Kim, who went into hiding, said that soldiers were also deployed at his residence, and posted footage showing about 20 armed soldiers standing outside his office in central Seoul.
During a testimony to the Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly on 9 December, Police Commissioner Cho testified that he received a call from the DCC Commander Yeo between 22:30 and 22:40 on the night of 3 December, asking him to track the locations of politicians and others to carry out their arrests. The list of targets was consistent with what NIS Deputy Director Hong revealed the previous week, adding that PPP leader Han Dong-hoon was added to the list later. Commissioner Cho stated that he ignored the orders, on grounds that location tracking itself was illegal, and that court-issued arrest warrants were required to carry out arrests.
On 13 December, a lawyer representing Commissioner Cho said that Yoon had also ordered the arrest of Seoul Central District Court Judge Kim Dong-hyun, who had acquitted Lee Jae-myung of perjury charges in November 2024.

### Decree

At 23:25, on 3 December, Martial Law Commander Army General Park An-su issued the following decree which retroactively took effect at 23:00:
   Martial Law Command proclaims the following as of 23:00 on 3 December 2024, in order to protect liberal democracy from anti-state forces active within the free Republic of Korea and their threats to subvert the state, and to ensure public safety.
   * All political activities, including activities of the National Assembly, local councils, political parties, and political association, rallies and demonstrations, are prohibited.
   * All acts that deny or attempt to overthrow the free democratic system are prohibited. The dissemination of fake news, manipulation of public opinion, and false propaganda are prohibited.
   * All media and publications are subject to the control of Martial Law Command.
   * Strikes, work stoppages, and rallies that incite social chaos are prohibited.
   * Trainee doctors and all other medical personnel, who are on strike or have left their worksites, must return to their positions within 48 hours and work faithfully. Those who violate the order will face punishment in accordance with the Martial Law Act.
   * Innocent ordinary citizens, excluding anti-state forces and other subversive forces, will be subject to measures to minimize inconvenience in their daily lives.
   Violators of the proclamation may be arrested, detained and searched without a warrant in accordance with Article 9 of the Martial Law Act (Special Measures Authority of the Martial Law Commander), and will be punished in accordance with Article 14 of the Martial Law Act (Penalties).
Yoon's martial law decree went further than those of previous military dictators by suspending the National Assembly. However, Yoon's decree stopped short of ordering curfews or the closure of universities.

### Impact

The announcement of martial law was met by surprise and panic amongst the South Korean public due to its suddenness. Following the declaration, the government said that activities in educational institutions and transport services would continue to operate normally. Panic-buying occurred in convenience stores nationwide. Demand increased for Telegram and VPNs after disruptions to internet portal Naver prompted fears of government censorship, although Naver and Kakao attributed this to an increase in user traffic. The Ministry of Science and ICT said it had not received any requests relating to martial law.
Following the announcement, the value of the won fell to 1,444 per U.S. dollar, its lowest value in 25 months; it later recovered to around 1,420, still down from the previous day's high of 1,403. The iShares MSCI South Korea ETF decreased by 5%. Franklin FTSE South Korea ETF declined by 4.4% and Matthews Korea Active ETF fell 4.5%. A central bank official said it was preparing measures to stabilize the market if needed. Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok convened an emergency meeting among top economic officials.

### Immediate reaction of politicians

National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik announced he would convene a plenary session immediately to revoke the martial law order and called for all lawmakers to gather at the National Assembly.
All main parties, including the ruling People Power Party, opposed Yoon's martial law declaration. PPP leader Han Dong-hoon said: "The president's martial law declaration is wrong. We will stop it along with the people". Seoul mayor Oh Se-hoon, a member of the PPP, also opposed the declaration. PPP floor leader Choo Kyung-ho said he only found out about the decree from the news. Controversially, Choo made an announcement to PPP legislators to report at party headquarters for a meeting instead of the National Assembly to vote down the martial law contrary to Han Dong-hoon and his faction, which led to allegations that he was colluding with Yoon's martial law plot. The special counsel bill passed by the National Assembly a week later to investigate key figures of the martial law declaration included Choo as a subject for investigation.
Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the DPK, urged citizens to gather at the National Assembly and declared that Yoon "is no longer the president of South Korea". Lee began live streaming on his YouTube channel around 22:50 as he traveled to the Assembly, telling 70,000 live viewers "There's no justification for declaring martial law. We cannot let the military rule the country". The Incheon branch of the DPK criticized the declaration as the beginning of an "era of Yoon dictatorship". Rebuilding Korea Party leader Cho Kuk called the declaration of martial law "illegal" and said it met conditions for the impeachment of Yoon and Defense Minister Kim. Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform Party, called for Yoon to be expelled from the PPP, while Gyeonggi Province governor Kim Dong-yeon called for Yoon's arrest. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, the largest trade union group in the country, called for a general strike to reverse the declaration of martial law and impeach the president.
Former President Moon Jae-in addressed the military as a former commander-in-chief in a Facebook post, urging them to respect the will of the people, not to act against the National Assembly, and to adhere strictly to constitutional principles. He called on the military to focus on its legitimate duties, safeguarding national security without compromising democratic institutions.
A handful of conservative figures did support the decree, such as former prime minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who called for the arrest of both Woo Won-shik and Han Dong-hoon. The mayor of Daegu, Hong Joon-pyo, did not explicitly take sides, but said he understood "Yoon's loyalty" while describing his actions as reckless and "making a scene".

### National Assembly vote

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency blocked all entrances to the National Assembly by 23:04 and prevented lawmakers from reaching the plenary session to overturn the martial law declaration. Lawmakers instead maneuvered around police barricades to enter the Assembly. At around 23:00, Lee Jae-myung live streamed himself climbing over a 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) fence to gain access, and Speaker Woo also had to climb a fence to enter the assembly grounds. Lee Jun-seok, leader of the Reform Party, was seen confronting police officers for obstructing lawmakers, but recounted later that some police officers appeared not to know what to do.
At 23:50, UH-60P Black Hawk military helicopters were seen approaching the grounds, prompting lawmakers and aides to build furniture barricades inside. Around 23:57, the 707th SMG appeared in front of the National Assembly Proceeding Hall and began to clash with aides and congressional staff who tried to hold back the troops from entering the building. DPK spokeswoman Ahn Gwi-ryeong was seen trying to seize a rifle from a soldier before the latter pointed it at her briefly, prompting her to berate the soldier saying "Aren't you ashamed?" as he walked away. The video of the incident was captured on a livestream by OhmyNews and viewed millions of times on Twitter. She later told BBC Korean Service that "I didn't think... I just knew we had to stop this".
At 00:45, around 300 military personnel entered the National Assembly building, broke windows and attempted to enter the main hall, where Speaker Woo was about to begin the plenary session to revoke the martial law decree. In response, staff sprayed them with fire extinguishers and successfully stopped their entry. Some soldiers attempted to enter through the fourth floor, but were stopped by employees.
Soldiers broke the windows of several MPs' offices, while injuries occurred during confrontations inside the building. Ultimately, the soldiers were unable to access the main session hall, whose entrances were barricaded using furniture installed by staff. At least three helicopters also landed on the assembly grounds while two others were seen hovering above. Armored military vehicles were seen on the streets, while the martial law command also ordered the eviction of the Presidential Office press corps from its building in Seoul.
The National Assembly commenced the emergency session at 00:48 on 4 December. At 01:02, with 190 of 300 lawmakers present, they voted unanimously to lift martial law. Those who voted included 172 opposition MPs and 18 members of a PPP faction supporting Han Dong-hoon. Following the vote, Speaker Woo Won-shik called for the military to leave the Assembly, while Lee Jae-myung said that the DPK would remain in the Assembly until the president lifted martial law. Lee called for police and soldiers to return to their positions and not abide with Yoon's "illegal act". They were also joined by members of the PPP.
The Korea Times and opposition parties identified units of the security forces involved in the incursion at the assembly as the 1st Airborne Special Forces Brigade of the Army Special Warfare Command and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, with the National Police Agency believed to have been bypassed by the declaration. The National Police Agency declared a Level B Emergency. The Kyunghyang Shinmun published images of soldiers next to boxes of what appeared to be live bullets and ammunition at the assembly. Protests against martial law were also organized in Gwangju, where memories of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising and subsequent crackdown remain fresh.
On 5 December, an anonymous special forces soldier told the media that the soldiers sent to the National Assembly only learned of the martial law declaration from the news. Other soldiers have said they were kept in the dark to varying degrees; most were not even told their destination until en route, and only given a specific mission after arrival. One said he felt betrayed by his superiors. Many were reluctant and deliberately slow in carrying out orders.
On 6 December, Lieutenant General Kwak Jong-keun, Chief of the Army Special Warfare Command, revealed during an interview by DPK legislators Kim Byung-joo and Park Sun-won, that the defense minister gave orders for troops to drag out the legislators, corroborating the earlier reports. Kwak said he prohibited giving live ammunition to individual soldiers as he witnessed "unjustified scenes" during the deployment, and added that "based on my judgment, dragging lawmakers out was clearly an illegal act" and he defied the orders, ordering the troops not to enter the plenary hall. In addition, Brigadier General Lee Sang-hyun, commander of the 1st Special Forces Brigade confirmed that they were deployed to the National Assembly, with deployment of two battalions, consisting of about 250 soldiers in total. He confirmed that orders were given to remove the lawmakers using means such as breaking down doors or cutting electricity, while confirming that Kwak gave orders not to give live ammunition. On a subsequent inquiry by the National Assembly on 10 December with a huge delegation of military officers summoned for questioning by legislators, Kwak revealed that the president personally called him to demand "break[ing] open the door, and drag the lawmakers out" and further added that he was made aware of plans for martial law on 1 December, two days before the announcement. Kwak suggested that prosecutors in charge of investigating Yoon's martial law declaration were framing their questions in a way that held former Defense Minister Kim accountable, and shift the blame away from President Yoon.
Confrontations took place at the complex's main gate between security forces and civilians. Crowds gathered, chanting slogans such as "lift martial law", "take down the dictatorship", "no violence" and "impeach Yoon".

### Lifting of martial law

During a televised briefing at 04:27, Yoon announced that he would lift martial law as soon as a quorum could be obtained for a cabinet meeting, and that he had withdrawn military personnel from the National Assembly. At approximately 04:30, the cabinet approved the motion to lift martial law. The Martial Law Command was also disbanded. The military said it had not observed unusual activity in North Korea while martial law was in place.
Following the lifting of martial law, the DPK held an emergency meeting at the Assembly, announcing that they would commence impeachment proceedings if Yoon did not step down. In a resolution, it said "Yoon's declaration of martial law is a clear violation of the Constitution", adding that it was "a serious act of rebellion and a perfect reason for impeachment". Protests continued to be held in the Assembly and in Gwanghwamun Square, as well as outside the Presidential Residence. Candlelight rallies and related activities were held in cities across South Korea. Smaller rallies were also held in support of Yoon.

## Impeachment of Yoon
### First impeachment motion

First motion to impeach Yoon :
| Choice | Votes |
| Y Yes | Not counted 195 / 300 |
| N No |
| Abstentions |
| Invalid votes |
| Not voting | 105 / 300 |
| Impeachment unsuccessful ||
Following the martial law declaration, all six opposition parties – the DPK, Rebuilding Korea Party, New Reform Party, Progressive Party, Basic Income Party, and Social Democratic Party – submitted the motion to impeach Yoon during a plenary session of the National Assembly on 4 December. The vote was set for 7 December.
Following an emergency meeting of the People Power Party (PPP), its leader, Han Dong-hoon, initially announced the party's unanimous opposition to the impeachment efforts. However, on 6 December, Han revealed that the PPP had received evidence indicating that Yoon had ordered Defense Counterintelligence Commander Yeo In-hyung to arrest key politicians, including Han himself, on "anti-state charges" during martial law and detain them in Gwacheon, prompting Han to call on Yoon to "suspend his duties soon" and warning that citizens could be in "great danger" if Yoon remained in office.
Hours before the National Assembly convened on 7 December, Yoon apologized for declaring martial law, describing it as "desperate decision made by me, the president, as the final authority responsible for state affairs" and promising there would not be a second declaration of martial law. He also pledged to delegate his political functions to the PPP. DPK leader and main opposition leader Lee Jae-myung called the apology "disappointing" and insisted on Yoon's resignation or impeachment. He also criticized Yoon's power-sharing arrangement with the PPP as "destroying the constitutional order", while DPK Floor Leader Park Chan-dae called the arrangement a "second coup". Prior to the impeachment vote, a motion was discussed on whether to launch a special counsel investigation on Yoon's wife Kim Keon-hee but ultimately failed due to opposition by the PPP.
Before voting began, all PPP lawmakers except one, Ahn Cheol-soo, left the voting chamber, meaning the bill would be unlikely to pass. This came amid the possibility of PPP lawmakers deviating from the party's position through the secret balloting process. Kim Ye-ji [ko] left but later returned; Kim Sang-wook [ko] returned to vote but said he voted against impeachment. Protesters attempted to block the exits of the National Assembly Proceeding Hall as PPP lawmakers left, calling the leaving lawmakers "cowards" and encouraging them to vote. Rebuilding Korea Party lawmaker Kim Joon-hyung said that he expected voting to go on until 00:00 KST on 8 December at the latest; the deadline to vote is 00:48 KST, three days after the motion was introduced.
National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik closed voting early at 21:20 KST and initially announced the start of counting shortly after, but then announced that votes would not be counted due to failing to reach the quorum, with only 195 members present of the 200 needed.
While the session was underway, the crowd outside the National Assembly demanding Yoon's removal and insisting that PPP lawmakers participate in the impeachment vote was estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands, with some attempting to scale the walls and police barricades. On 5 December, phone numbers of PPP lawmakers were released online, leading to a wave of text messages from the public urging them to support Yoon's impeachment, which continued after the impeachment motion failed. One MP, Shin Sung-bum, said that he had received 10,501 messages by 9 December.

### Second impeachment motion

Second motion to impeach Yoon Two-thirds majority (200/300) required :
| Choice | Votes |
| Y Yes | 204 / 300 |
| N No | 85 / 300 |
| Abstentions | 3 / 300 |
| Invalid votes | 8 / 300 |
| Not voting | 0 / 300 |
| Impeachment successful ||
On 12 December, Yoon issued a statement vowing to "fight to the end", resisting the push for his resignation. Following Yoon's statement, Han Dong-hoon called for Yoon's impeachment and convened an ethics committee to discuss Yoon's expulsion from the PPP. Later that day, the DPK filed its second motion to impeach Yoon, with the vote scheduled for 14 December 2024.
Prior to the vote, seven PPP lawmakers expressed their intention to participate, including Ahn Cheol-soo, Kim Ye-ji and Kim Sang-wook, who participated in the previous voting, as well as Bae Hyun-jin, who has not expressed her intentions in the next vote. On 10 December, Kim Sang-wook, who voted against the impeachment motion, announced that he would support impeachment and apologized for his previous decision.
Before the vote began on 14 December, Han Dong-hoon announced that while his party opposed impeachment, it would engage in the vote, encouraging lawmakers to vote "according to their conscience and beliefs rather than following partisan interests". Shortly after 16:00 KST, with six PPP members present, speaker Woo Won-shik announced the beginning of the vote, saying "I hope every one of you will participate in the vote". BBC News described the second vote as "a stark contrast from last weekend", citing the lack of a PPP boycott. Local media outlets said that the results would be likely counted by 17:30 KST.
Around 16:50 KST on 14 December, Woo announced that all 300 members had voted and vote counting had begun. As votes were counted, protesters sang "March for the Beloved", an anthem commemorating those killed during the Gwangju Uprising, and "Into the New World" by Girls' Generation, which was also used during the impeachment of Park Geun-hye. The National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon, with 204 of 300 lawmakers supporting impeachment.

## Protests against Yoon

Inspector General of the Ministry of Justice Ryu Hyuk resigned in protest shortly after attending a meeting convened on martial law by Justice Minister Park Sung-jae. Shortly after Yoon backed down and lifted martial law, the opposition began to consider his impeachment. Some South Korean analysts described the episode as a self-coup attempt to seize power. In the early hours of 4 December, dozens of Yoon's aides resigned en masse following the martial law declaration and recantation. That same day, the Supreme Court announced it would investigate whether the declaration was illegal, given that he had failed to abide by mandatory provisions such as notifying both the cabinet and the legislature beforehand. On 6 December, the Constitutional Court also opened an investigation into the legality of Yoon's martial law declaration.
The leadership of the PPP discussed expelling Yoon from the party during a meeting. Han Dong-hoon urged Yoon to immediately fire Defense Minister Kim for proposing the idea and later said he asked Yoon to leave the PPP through the prime minister and presidential officials. The DPK also confirmed they would initiate impeachment proceedings against Yoon, along with Kim and Interior Minister Lee Sang-min on 5 December if Yoon did not resign. Kim later apologized and took responsibility for the soldiers' actions. He also offered his resignation, which was accepted by Yoon. In a separate interview, Kim said that the deployment of soldiers to the National Election Commission was aimed at assessing the "necessity of an investigation into alleged election fraud". In response, the commission denounced the incursion as a violation of the Constitution and pledged to take legal action. At noon on 4 December, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo held a meeting with Yoon's remaining cabinet members, and party leaders to discuss the fallout of the martial law declaration. He subsequently apologized and took full responsibility for what had happened.
Later on 4 December, all of the major newspapers in South Korea and the National Union of Media Workers unanimously condemned Yoon and called for his arrest, saying the martial law was illegal and an attempted repeat of the brutal coups of the 1980s. At the same time, multiple South Korean celebrities also heavily condemned Yoon. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea, the Korean Methodist Church, the National Council of Churches in Korea, and the Korean Church Human Rights Center criticized the declaration of martial law, while the national association of Won Buddhist clerics called for Yoon's impeachment. A joint declaration was signed by 370 professors and researchers at Korea University calling for Yoon's impeachment. The emergency medical professors of Seoul National University and Seoul National University Hospital also criticized martial law and its attempt to halt the ongoing doctors' strike and supported Yoon's impeachment. Especially, the term 'cheodan' (처단) in Article 5 of the decree on martial law has sparked strong reactions from both medical professionals and the general public in Korea. Although it was translated as 'punishment' in this document, its real-world usage aligns more closely with 'execution', fueling significant controversy. The chair of the Choongam High School Foundation called Yoon and Kim Yong-hyun "shameful graduates". The school also suspended its uniform policy for students amid concerns over harassment, adding that some of its school bus drivers had been harassed by passersby and that it had received hundreds of protest calls. Its student council also issued a statement supporting Yoon's impeachment. Five MPs of the PPP from Han Dong-hoon's faction expressed support for amending the constitution to shorten Yoon's term from 2027 to 2026. Some PPP legislators also called for amendments shifting power from the president to the prime minister and allowing for power-sharing between parties under a coalition government.
On 5 December, Kim Min-seok, who had previously warned of a possible declaration of martial law in August, said that he was "100 percent certain" that Yoon would try and declare martial law again, attributing Yoon's motivations as to protect himself and his wife from ongoing investigations. He also attributed the failure of the 3 December declaration to popular resistance and the incompetence of Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun. The Center for Military Human Rights Korea also warned of such a possibility, citing the Army restricting leave for some officers and implementing stringent regulations effective until 8 December, which coincided with the period that proposals to impeach Yoon are being discussed in the National Assembly. On 6 December, the Defense Ministry and the Joint Chiefs of Staff denied the allegations and said that they would not comply with a second declaration of martial law, while the DPK said all 170 of its lawmakers will remain on emergency standby within the National Assembly premises to vote down future declarations of martial law. The National Assembly Secretariat barred officials from the Defense Ministry, police and the NIS from entering its buildings "for the time being".
On the afternoon of 6 December, rumors that Yoon would visit the Assembly for a meeting with the PPP prompted opposition lawmakers and staff to gather at the building's main rotunda to block his entry, while additional entry restrictions were imposed on other visitors and the complex's day care center was advised to send children home early. The Presidential Office later said that Yoon had no plans to visit the legislature.