Legislative Aide Recounts Chaos of South Korea’s Attempted Martial Law Decree

A South Korean parliamentary aide has described a night of confusion and fear inside the National Assembly as the Yoon administration prepared a controversial decree last year. The order would have invoked martial law-style powers to suppress a major truckers’ strike. The aide, who requested anonymity, stated that senior officials urgently drafted documents to mobilize military forces. The goal was to force striking truck drivers back to work. This followed a nationwide walkout protesting freight rates and fuel costs. “The atmosphere was chaotic and tense,” the aide recalled. Key parliamentary leaders were summoned for an emergency midnight meeting. They faced intense pressure to approve the measure. The decree was never issued. Legal experts and lawmakers from opposing parties raised immediate constitutional objections. They argued it would have unjustifiably used a “grave calamity” declaration typically reserved for major disasters. The incident offers a rare glimpse into a high-stakes governmental crisis. It highlights the severe measures considered to end the 2022 strike, which caused significant economic disruption.