WATCHING WITH CONCERN AS A SERIOUS CRISIS RAPIDLY ENGULFS ONE OF
AMERICA’S MOST LOYAL
AND STRATEGIC ALLIES.
SOUTH KOREA ON EDGE.
SURROUNDED BY
PROTESTERS WHERE THERE
WERE CLASHES WITH
SECURITY FORCES AFTER
THE PRESIDENT DECLARED
MARTIAL LAW CITING THE
THREAT FROM
NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES.
THE GOVERNMENT
ANNOUNCED A BAN OF ALL
POLITICAL ACTIVITIES
AND DECLARED MEDIA AND
PUBLICATIONS WOULD
BE -- THE CRISIS
CATCHING THE U.S. WITH
30,000 TROOPS
STATIONED THERE OFF
GUARD.
WE ARE JOINED FROM
THERE NOW.
JANICE, THE
PRESIDENT’S MOVE CAME
AS A SURPRISE.
>> Reporter: THAT IS
RIGHT, LESTER.
PRESIDENT YOON IS
FACING CALLS FOR HIS
IMPEACHMENT WHILE THE
WHITE HOUSE SAID THEY
ARE RELIEVED HE
REVERSED COURSE AFTER
DECLARING MARTIAL LAW.
DRAMATIC SCENES OF
CHAOS IN SOUTH KOREA,
ONE OF AMERICA’S KEY
ALLIES AS PROTESTERS
SCUFFLE WITH POLICE
OUTSIDE THE NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY BUILDING.
SOME WINDOWS WERE
SHATTERED AFTER THE
PRESIDENT YOON SUK
YEOL DECLARED MARTIAL
LAW AIMED AT STOPPING
NORTH KOREAN
ANTI-STATE FORCES IN
THE GOVERNMENT.
HOURS LATER FORCED TO
REVOKE IT WHEN THE
OPPOSITION LAWMAKERS
HELD AN EMERGENCY VOTE
TO DEFY THE PRESIDENT
AND SCRAP MARTIAL LAW.
SOME OF THEM SCALING
FENCES TO GET BACK
INSIDE.
OUTSIDE THE PARLIAMENT
PROTESTERS PUSHING
AGAINST ARMORED
VEHICLES AND INSIDE
FURNITURE PILED HIGH
TO KEEP SOLDIERS OUT.
THE U.S. ANNOUNCED
THERE WAS NO WARNING
OF YOON’S PLAN IN A
COUNTRY WHERE NEARLY
30,000 AMERICAN TROOPS
ARE STATIONED.
>> WE ARE WATCHING THE
RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
WITH GRAVE CONCERN AND
SEEKING TO ENGAGE WITH
OUR KOREAN
COUNTERPARTS AT EVERY
LEVEL.
>> Reporter: IN AN
INTERVIEW LAST YEAR
PRESIDENT YOON WARNED
THE NORTH KOREAN
THREAT WAS GROWING.
>> DO YOU THINK THE
U.S. IS PAYING ENOUGH
ATTENTION TO DETERRING
A NORTH KOREAN ATTACK
ON THE SOUTH?
>> YES, DEFINITELY.
SINCE MY INAUGURATION
WE ARE CONTINUING OUR