Nobody is sure what President Yoon Suk Yeol’s next steps will be. Martial law cannot be imposed in South Korea without the consent of Parliament. Much will depend on whether the President has the backing of the armed forces or some powerful section of the military. No leader would go in for such a drastic step without the backing of the armed forces, who will have to ensure that the emergency measures are followed. Hours after the vote, a few units of the army that were earlier seen inside the National Assembly premises withdrew. That is perhaps a signal that the army, for now, is not going to act against either lawmakers or the people, and suggests it is distancing itself from President Yoon.

The last time martial law was imposed in South Korea was in 1979. South Korea today is a vibrant democracy and people are unlikely to allow martial rule without resistance. The good news is that the police force that had gathered in large numbers  outside the National Assembly did not prevent the MP’s from entering Parliament. As news of the martial law spread, hundreds of people came out to gather in front of the National Assembly and raised slogans against the President. Some also called for the arrest of the President.

Whether President Yoon’s charges of the opposition Democratic Party colluding with North Korea to destabilise the South has any basis is unclear. Considering the continuing  tension between the two Koreas and people’s fears of a Communist takeover, it is a emotive issue to flog before the public by a President who has lost much of his credibility in recent months.

There have been heightened political tension between the ruling party and the opposition in recent months  over passing the national budget. Accusation of corruption have been thrown at the President’s wife and there have been bitter tirade by both sides. However, no one expected President Yoon would take such a drastic measure as to declare an emergency martial law. He had said in the television address to the nation, while declaring martial law that the country was under threat by the opposition forces that are collaborating with North Korea to overthrow the democratic liberal set-up in the country.

Political unrest in South Korea will have major repercussions on the stability of  a volatile region. It is possible that the unpredictable North Korea leader Kim Jong Un would try to exploit the situation. South Korea, together with Japan, are two of the closest allies of the US and the  West in the region. China and Russia are both close to Seoul. The situation would perhaps become clearer in the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours. But all told, it is bad news for the world.