South Korea’s opposition leader thought martial law decree was 'a deepfake'

South Korea’s Opposition Leader Thought Martial Law Decree Was a Deepfake

Excerpt:
South Korea’s opposition leader initially dismissed the president's martial law declaration as a deepfake.

South Korea plunged into political chaos las week after President Yoon Suk Yeol’s surprise declaration of martial law, an unprecedented move that was quickly reversed following public and parliamentary backlash. Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, told CNN he initially believed the announcement to be fake.

“That night, after I got off work, I was lying in bed with my wife when she showed me a video on YouTube,” Lee said. “I replied, ‘That’s a deepfake. It has to be a deepfake.’”

The declaration, broadcast late Tuesday night, lasted only six hours before 180 lawmakers—including dissenters from Yoon’s own party—overturned it, forcing the president to backtrack. Lee, a fierce critic of Yoon and his 2022 rival in the presidential election, live-streamed his dramatic entry into the National Assembly after climbing a fence to bypass military barricades.

Protests erupted across the nation as pressure mounted on Yoon, with calls for his impeachment intensifying. Critics from across the political spectrum, including some within Yoon’s People Power Party, have condemned the president's actions as unconstitutional. National police have launched a treason investigation into Yoon and his defense minister, who resigned amid backlash.

Meanwhile, opposition lawmakers have camped in the National Assembly, fearing another martial law attempt. “We are sleeping, eating, and washing here,” said Kang Sun-woo, an opposition member.

Yoon’s martial law decree has left his presidency in jeopardy, with impeachment proceedings looming. As South Korea grapples with the fallout, the future of its democracy—and Yoon’s leadership—hangs in the balance.