White House Reacts to South Korea’s Martial Law—Is It a Threat to Democracy?

The White House has stated that it is closely monitoring the situation surrounding South Korea’s declaration of martial law.

The White House said on Tuesday, “The administration is in contact with the ROK government and is monitoring the situation closely as we work to learn more. The US was not notified in advance of this announcement. We are seriously concerned by the developments we see on the ground in the ROK.”

Major media outlets across the United States and Europe provided minute-by-minute coverage of South Korea’s National Assembly vote on the same day to repeal South Korean President Yoon’s Suk Yeol martial law declaration.

On Tuesday, U.S.-based CNN, U.K.-based Reuters and BBC, and Middle Eastern outlet Al Jazeera, among others, reported on Yoon’s martial law declaration in real-time. Articles published in live news formats included videos and images of martial law troops entering the National Assembly, police blocking the area in front of the Assembly, and soldiers pointing guns at broadcast journalists.

These reports also provided an in-depth analysis of the sudden declaration of martial law, public reactions, and the potential impact of the situation on South Korea’s political and economic landscape.