Military personnel in South Korea were confused after the abrupt declaration and subsequent lifting of martial law.
On Wednesday, Chosun Ilbo reported that soldiers placed on standby following President Yoon Suk Yeol’s declaration of martial law were left in disarray when they received news that the order had been reversed.
According to reports, the sudden announcement of martial law followed by its rapid repeal left military personnel unable to assess the situation properly. A soldier stationed at a base in the Seoul metropolitan area explained, “Just moments ago, I was in uniform waiting in the barracks, but now I’ve changed into civilian clothes.” He added, “The operations unit had reported for duty and then returned.”
Upon hearing of the martial law declaration and its subsequent lifting, soldiers expressed their confusion, with some commenting, “What is going on?” and “The country is falling apart.”
The confusion among troops, especially those on the front lines, escalated as the events unfolded overnight.
“There was no prior communication from higher command,” one soldier remarked.
An Army officer commented, “It seems there was no advance notice from higher command regarding the martial law declaration or its subsequent lifting.” He added, “Even the soldiers struggled to make sense of the situation, leading to confusion within the ranks.”
Meanwhile, the South Korean Ministry of National Defense reported that the Martial Law Command was officially disbanded at 4:30 AM following Yoon’s announcement lifting martial law. The emergency mobilization order for the Yongsan Seoul headquarters was also lifted.
As a result, the soldiers deployed under martial law were immediately ordered to return to their original units.
Comments0