THE Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine Embassy in Seoul yesterday assured the public of the safety and welfare of the more than 78,000 Filipinos in South Korea adding that they see no danger for them following the declaration, then lifting, of martial law.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo Jose de Vega said the department has no plan to raise any alert level or travel advisory for Filipinos in South Korea.
In a briefing, he also said the Filipinos are calm because they know the “peculiar conditions” in that country, and they did not “panic” when President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law late Tuesday.
Chaotic scenes ensued after the declaration as troops tried to seize control of the parliament building, although they stood back when parliamentary aides sprayed them with fire extinguishers while protesters scuffled with police outside.
Sales of canned goods, instant noodles and bottled water had soared overnight, said a major South Korean convenience store chain, which sought anonymity.
Yoon reversed the surprise declaration hours later on Wednesday, and is now subject of impeachment moves.
De Vega said cautioned those who want to travel or visit South Korea to be aware of local developments.
The Philippine Embassy in Seoul also advised Filipinos to remain calm and cooperate with local authorities.
Yoon has said martial law was necessary to protect the country “from the threats of the North Korean communist forces, and to eradicate the shameless pro-North anti-state forces that plunder the freedom and happiness” of South Koreans.
Less than three hours after Yoon made the declaration, 190 of 300 lawmakers who turned up at the National Assembly rejected his announcement at an emergency plenary session. Among them, 172 are opposition lawmakers, while 18 are members of the President’s ruling political party.
The surprise declaration of martial law in the major US ally caused a standoff with parliament which rejected Yoon’s attempt to ban political activity and censor the media, as armed troops forced their way into the National Assembly building in Seoul.
The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) called for Yoon, who has been in office since 2022, to resign or face impeachment.
Six South Korean opposition parties later submitted a bill in parliament to impeach Yoon, with voting set for Friday or Saturday.
Yoon, a career prosecutor, squeezed out a victory in the tightest presidential election in South Korean history in 2022, riding a wave of discontent over economic policy, scandals and gender wars.
But he has been unpopular, with his support ratings hovering at around 20% for months.
His People Power Party suffered a landslide defeat at a parliamentary election in April this year, failing to wrest control from opposition parties that captured nearly two-thirds of the seats.
There have been more than a dozen instances of martial law being declared since South Korea was established as a republic in 1948.
In 1980, a group of military officers forced then-President Choi Kyu-hah to proclaim martial law to crush calls for the restoration of democratic government. – With Reuters
