NYT > Top Stories Why Was Martial Law Declared in South Korea? By: Choe Sang-Hun๏ผ Jin Yu Young๏ผ John Yoon and Ephrat Livni 3 December 2024 at 15:30 SummarizeKey MomentsPresident Yoon Suk Yeol has been locked in a bitter fight with the opposition, which controls Parliament. ยฉ South Korea Presidential Office, via Associated PressSouth Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol during a press briefing on Tuesday at the presidential office in Seoul.