Foreign, domestic academics criticize Yoon’s declaration of martial law

Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks with Professor Joseph S. Nye during a talk event, "Pioneering a New Freedom Trail," at Harvard Kennedy School in Boston, April 28, 2023. Yonhap

Academics both in Korea and overseas are criticizing President Yoon Suk Yeol who triggered the country's largest political crisis in decades Tuesday night when he declared martial law.

Thirty-six Korean students and faculty members of Harvard University demanded the president step down in their joint statement released after they heard the news from their home country.

“The declaration of martial law in South Korea today is an undemocratic act that should never have occurred,” the statement said.

“According to Article 77 of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, martial law can only be declared under circumstances of war, armed conflict or a national emergency equivalent thereto, necessitating military action or the preservation of public safety and order. However, President Yoon Suk Yeol failed to provide a proper justification for invoking martial law and violated procedural legitimacy."

It added, "We, 36 Korean students and faculty members at Harvard University, strongly urge President Yoon Suk Yeol to take full responsibility and resign from office.”

Former journalist-turned-researcher at Harvard University Weatherhead Center for International Affairs, Lim So-ra, also told The Korea Times that the center plans to hold an urgent forum to discuss the current political situation in Korea.

Lim was a politics reporter at the Korean cable news channel JTBC.

Seoul National University Faculty Council also criticized President Yoon’s reckless late-night martial law decree in its statement.

“We, faculty members of Seoul National University, are strongly concerned about the political event that took place late at night,” it said in the statement.

“The National Assembly and government should respect the will of the people while following the country’s constitutional procedure to settle the current political crisis. We also strongly reject any measures to jeopardize the management of our academic affairs.”

Attorneys also said in unison that Yoon's martial law declaration could violate the Constitution.

“President Yoon’s declaration of martial law was the violation of the Constitution, jeopardizing the country’s democracy and constitutional order,” the Korean Bar Association said in a press release.

“We do not even need to refute whether the country is currently under any circumstances of national emergency equivalent thereto, necessitating military action or the preservation of public safety and order.”

Seoul National University Law School Professor Han In-seop echoed this sentiment.

“Martial law can’t be declared at current state,” Han said in a Facebook post. “Those who disable the National Assembly from functioning could be considered an accomplice to treason.”