North Korea claims South Korea in political turmoil due to martial law

By Saadet Gokce

ISTANBUL - According to North Korean state media, South Korea’s state has been “paralyzed,” with the country experiencing “spiraling socio-political confusion.”

These comments from Pyongyang followed a prolonged political crisis in South Korea triggered by the Dec. 3 declaration of martial law and the subsequent impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol.

“A series of impeachment cases, unprecedented in history, broke out and a warrant for arresting the president … in the puppet South Korea, resulting in paralysis of its state administration and spiraling socio-political confusion,” the commentary by the Korean Central News Agency stated.

Yoon was impeached on Dec. 14 after the brief martial law period. However, parliament later also impeached acting president and prime minister Han Duck-soo for his failure to appoint judges to the Constitutional Court, which is overseeing Yoon's trial.

“It has plunged South Korea deeper into an abyss of political upheaval, and its oft-repeated liberal democracy has collapsed,” the report added.

Pyongyang has made these rare comments on the crisis in South Korea, having only mentioned martial law a few times since Dec. 3.

Earlier today, investigators from the anti-corruption body attempted to arrest Yoon in Seoul, but the arrest warrant was suspended for now.

The warrant for Yoon’s detention was issued last week and remains valid until Monday.