North Korea has every reason to be wary of South – Moscow
North Korea’s concerns over its security are understandable given the political instability in the South, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said.
In a surprise televised address on Tuesday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol imposed emergency martial law, claiming that the opposition, which he accused of being sympathetic towards the North, had been preparing a “rebellion.” Within hours, 190 members of parliament, who managed to access the National Assembly despite military cordons, voted unanimously to lift the decree.
Soon afterwards, the head of state reversed his decision.
On Wednesday, Zakharova said: “In my opinion, many have understood why the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea)… is so concerned over its security.”
“It’s because they see that in a couple of hours [South Korea] can morph from a professed democracy into absolute chaos, with tanks on the streets, a storming of parliament, popular confrontation and some brute-force tactics,” the official claimed.
According to the Russian diplomat, with such an “unpredictable” neighbor, North Korea’s special focus on its security is entirely justified.
South Korean media quoted the leader of the opposition Democratic Party, Lee Jae-myung, as warning on Wednesday that President Yoon has “failed once and he will attempt again [to declare martial law], but there is a greater risk than that.”
The left-wing politician alleged that “there is a significant risk that he will provoke North Korea and disrupt the ceasefire line, leading to armed conflict.”
Lee went on to suggest that the president would not hesitate to “sacrifice people’s lives” to stay in office.
According to Yonhap news agency, 191 lawmakers representing the Democratic Party, along with five smaller parties, submitted a motion on Wednesday to impeach Yoon, with plans to put it to a vote on Friday or Saturday.
The Chosun newspaper reported that all members of the State Council, as well as several other senior government officials, tendered their resignations on Wednesday.
The political crisis in South Korea follows a parliamentary deadlock over next year’s budget. The opposition had blocked President Yoon’s bill and put forward its own, insisting on the need to increase public spending in order to “revive people’s livelihoods and the economy.”
The head of state, who on Tuesday accused his political opponents of paralyzing the government with “anti-state activities,” has also been resisting calls for a probe into several scandals, involving his wife and senior officials.
