Seeds Will Grow

A summary of the last week in South Korea and an invitation to express your solidarity with the Korean people.

Last Week in South Korea

Late at night on December 3rd, the South Korean President, who had been facing intense opposition and calls for impeachment with only a 17% approval rating, ordered martial law on the pretext that there were “anti-state” elements whom he needed to eliminate.

Here is the text of the martial law as ordered:

In order to protect liberal democracy from the threat of overthrowing the regime of the Republic of Korea by anti-state forces active within the Republic of Korea and to protect the safety of the people, the following is hereby declared throughout the Republic of Korea as of 23:00 on Dec 3, 2024:

1. All political activities, including the activities of the National Assembly, local councils, and political parties, political associations, rallies and demonstrations, are prohibited.

2. All acts that deny or attempt to overthrow the liberal democratic system are prohibited, and fake news, public opinion manipulation, and false propaganda are prohibited.

3. All media and publications are subject to the control of the martial law command.

4. Strikes, work stoppages and rallies that incite social chaos are prohibited.

5. All medical personnel, including trainee doctors, who are on strike or have left the medical field must return to their jobs within 48 hours and work faithfully. Those who violate will be punished in accordance with the martial law.

6. Innocent ordinary citizens, excluding anti-state forces and other subversive forces, will be subject to measures to minimise inconvenience in their daily lives.

Violators of the above proclamation may be arrested, detained, and searched without a warrant in accordance with Article 9 of the Martial Law Act of the Republic of Korea (Special Measures Authority of the Martial Law Commander), and will be punished in accordance with Article 14 of the Martial Law Act (Penalties).

South Koreans lived through military rule until the 1980s, witnessing countless crimes committed by military juntas against civilians in the name of “eliminating anti-state elements.” So, this martial law order sent the South Korean people into crisis mode. Unwilling to return to the dark days of military dictatorship, lawmakers and normal citizens immediately resisted this anti-constitutional act in the middle of the night by gathering outside the National Assembly. If the lawmakers could call a vote, by law, they could overturn the martial law order with a simple majority.

Meanwhile, the President sent hundreds of special forces to take control of the National Assembly, lying to them that they were going to fight North Koreans. The soldiers were bewildered when they found themselves face to face with their fellow South Korean people. With the help of civilians, 190 legislators managed to gain entry into the National Assembly. They voted unanimously to overturn martial law.

The Korean people experienced last week’s martial law order as a deep betrayal of the public trust, civil liberties, and democratic norms. Constitutional scholars immediately released statements about the illegality of using martial law to suppress civil liberties, stating that the President could be charged with insurrection. Religious groups, civil society organizations, and major media outlets across the country released statements within hours condemning the martial law order. South Korea’s largest umbrella labor union called for a general strike until the President resigned or was impeached. Across the country, people gathered in protest, calling for the impeachment of the President.

On Saturday, December 7th, the National Assembly held a vote to impeach the President. They needed a quorum (200 votes out of the 300), but the vote came up short due to the almost complete boycott by the President’s party. Only a few members of the President’s party remained in the chamber for the vote.

Leading up to and since the narrowly failed impeachment vote, masses of people rallied in Seoul and other major cities across South Korea. Candlelight vigils continue each day and will not stop until the President resigns or is impeached and a new leader is elected according to the constitution.

It appears the President’s party tried their own power grab on December 8th, removing the President’s powers without impeachment, but unconstitutionally putting power into the hands of the Prime Minister and sitting President’s party leader. This is deeply troubling, and Koreans are worried for what may come. The opposition parties call this power grab a “second insurrection” and have committed to call for impeachment votes until they succeed.

Requests for Solidarity 🇰🇷

Koreans invite you to stand in solidarity with them:

• 💞 Encourage the People
  Organizers are asking for short encouraging messages from around the world, which they will play for those gathered at the candlelight rallies being held each night:
  • Use your phones to record a short solidarity message (15-30 seconds).
    • Make the message unique and in any language.
    • Your message can be something as simple as:
      • Greetings from (your location)! I want to offer encouragement and stand in solidarity with all of you defending Korea’s democracy by braving the cold. Hopefully, this can be a moment to push democracy forward rather than seeing it pushed back.
    • Include Korean or English text in your email for the editors to make subtitles.
    • Send your short video clip HERE.
      
• 🇺🇸 Americans Put on the Pressure
  Because the United States’ military is so closely connected to South Korea’s military (the US holds wartime operational control of South Korea’s military), analysts believe the Pentagon knew this martial law order was coming. The Biden administration has not publicly rebuked this attempt at military rule. Therefore, American citizens are invited to publicly voice their disapproval. Express solidarity with Koreans defending democracy in these ways:
  • Contact the Korean embassy or email the Ambassador to the US in solidarity with South Koreans resisting military rule and urging the President’s resignation.
  • Ask your Congressional Representative and Senators to speak out publicly in support of South Korean citizens defending democracy and urging accountability for the unconstitutional martial law order.
  • Join local Korean American organizations in their actions to raise awareness and decry military rule.
    
• 📖 Learn
  • Read through the articles linked in this post.
  • Dive into more resources on Korea here.
    
• 🙏 Pray
  • South Korean friends have been texting me to pray together and setting aside special time to pray in response to this crisis. If you are someone who prays,
    • Pray for the safety, health, and flourishing of all people in Korea.
    • Pray for leaders and all in authority, that they would respect their people and lead with humility and wisdom, as servants of all.
    • Pray for the end of domination and domination systems of all kinds in Korea.
    • Pray for just peace in Korea.

Thank you!

Thank you for standing in solidarity with Korean people at this time. Let’s remember Martin Luther King Jr’s words,

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. (Letter from a Birmingham Jail)

We need each other, and our destinies are intertwined. Today is our chance to stand with Koreans. Tomorrow, they may be standing with us.

Let’s work together for the common good.