Defence ministry: no threat to arms contracts with South Korea

President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial lawon Tuesday night in a move that stunned South Koreans and triggered a short-lived attempt by troops to enter parliament, as lawmakers and protesters quickly voiced opposition to the most serious challenge to the country's democracy since the 1980s.

The speaker of parliament declared the martial law announcement invalid and lawmakers early on Wednesday voted to reject it.

"We are closely monitoring the political situation in South Korea. We remain in constant contact with our attaché in Seoul as well as his South Korean counterpart in Poland," the head of Poland's Defence Ministry said on X on Tuesday.

We have received assurances from South Korea’s Deputy Defense Minister Il Sung, on behalf of their Ministry of Defense, that our cooperation and the execution of defense contracts are in no way at risk," Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote.

On Tuesday evening local time, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law, accusing the opposition of sympathizing with North Korea and paralyzing government operations.

Yoon's move, which he cast as aimed at his political foes, was vocally opposed even by the leader of his own party, Han Dong-hoon, who was present for the vote in parliament and who has clashed with Yoon over the president's handling of recent scandals.

Earlier, live television footage showed helmeted troops apparently tasked with imposing martial law attempting to enter the assembly building, and parliamentary aides were seen trying to push the soldiers back by spraying fire extinguishers.

Yoon said on Tuesday night that opposition parties had taken the parliamentary process hostage. He vowed to eradicate "shameless pro-North Korean anti-state forces" and said he had no choice but to take the measure to safeguard constitutional order.

Shortly after Yoon made his announcement on live TV, people began gathering outside the parliament building, some of them shouting: "Withdraw emergency martial law!"

"Arrest Yoon Suk Yeol" shouted others.

The military said activities by parliament and political parties would be banned, and that media and publishers would be under the control of the martial law command.

Yoon did not cite any specific threat from the nuclear-armed North, instead focusing on his domestic political opponents. It is the first time since 1980 that martial law has been declared in South Korea.

South Korea has had a series of authoritarian leaders early in its history but has been considered democratic since the 1980s.

The Korean won KRW= was down sharply against the U.S. dollar. A central bank official said it was preparing measures to stabilise the market if needed. Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok has convened an emergency meeting among top economic officials, his spokesman said in a text message.

Yoon's predecessor, Moon Jae-in of the Democratic Party, said in a post on X that the country's democracy is in crisis. "I hope that the National Assembly will act quickly to protect our democracy from crumbling," he wrote in a post.

"I ask the people to join forces to protect and save democracy and to help the National Assembly function normally."

The United States is in contact with the South Korean government and is monitoring the situation closely, a White House spokesperson said.

Some 28,500 U.S. troops are stationed in South Korea to guard against the North. A spokesman for the U.S. military command did not answer repeated phone calls.