Martial law sparks 'digital exodus' amid communication fears

Citizens watch news about the martial law declaration at Seoul Station, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Citizens, fearing potential restrictions on online platforms and communication networks after President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration on Tuesday, turned to digital alternatives like Telegram, a messaging app with overseas servers.

Even after the lifting of martial law, the "digital exodus" continues, fueled by growing fears that constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of expression and communication could be restricted at any time.

In the early hours of Wednesday, posts flooded social media platforms like X, with users urging others to “download Telegram," sharing anecdotes about receiving numerous notifications of friends joining the app overnight.

The spike in Telegram sign-ups followed disruptions to services like Naver’s online communities and news comment sections, which sparked speculation that the government was suppressing free expression through internet controls.

However, according to the information technology sector, no deliberate restrictions or shutdowns were imposed during the martial law declaration or its subsequent lifting.

Both Naver and Kakao, the nation’s two major portals, said that they had received no directives from the government or martial law command, attributing the service disruptions to server overload from high traffic volumes.

The Ministry of Science and ICT also denied any involvement, affirming that no requests related to martial law had been made. Major telecommunications providers SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus confirmed that their networks operated normally while monitoring traffic during the emergency.

Legal experts argue that a nationwide communication blackout under martial law is highly unlikely, as telecommunications are considered essential public utilities, much like electricity and water, and are critical to industrial operations.

A citizen photographs a combat helicopter entering the National Assembly premises, Wednesday, the day after President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law. Korea Times photo

Lingering concerns about restrictions

Provisions under Article 9 of the Martial Law Act grant commanders the authority to take special measures related to arrests, searches and restrictions on assemblies, but do not explicitly address communication controls. Additionally, the martial law command’s first proclamation late Tuesday night contained no references to communications.

Despite these reassurances, public apprehension persists, driven by fears of government overreach. Concerns have arisen over the possibility of exploiting the Telecommunications Business Act, which grants the ICT minister authority to restrict or suspend communication services in emergencies like war or natural disasters.

Demand for secure communication options continues to grow even after martial law was lifted. Telegram’s popularity surged, ranking third in the Korean App Store’s free app chart on Wednesday, up from its usual 50th position.

Similarly, curiosity about VPNs, or virtual private networks, spiked, with apps like NinjaVPN and NordVPN seeing increased downloads.

Lee Seong-yeob, a professor at Korea University's Professional Graduate School of Technology Management, advised, "Even if it's not an emergency martial law situation, communication devices can be subject to judicial authorities' search and seizure, and communication secrecy and freedom may not be guaranteed, leading to a learning effect."

He added, "We need to build a trust practice that one can use communication safely if they do not commit a crime."

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.