South Korea’s president has declared an emergency martial law in the country, accusing opposition of anti-state activities.

President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Tuesday that he will rebuild a free and democratic country through the martial law.

“To safeguard a liberal South Korea from the threats posed by North Korea’s communist forces and to eliminate anti-state elements… I hereby declare emergency martial law,” Yoon said in a live televised address.

“This is an unavoidable measure to ensure the freedom and safety of the people and guarantee the sustainability of the nation against the unrest stirred by these subversive, anti-state elements.”

Leader of the ruling conservative People Power Party, Han Dong-hoon, said “the declaration of martial law is wrong”, adding that he would “oppose the declaration of martial law alongside the people”.

The liberal opposition Democratic Party has reportedly called for an emergency meeting following Yoon’s announcement.

Since taking office in 2022, Yoon has struggled to push his agendas against an opposition-controlled parliament.

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The People Power Party had been locked in an impasse with the Democratic Party over next year’s budget bill.

“The National Assembly has also completely cut budgets essential for national operations, drug crime prevention, and public safety, undermining the core functions of the state,” the president added. “This has left our citizens in a state of chaos, with the nation becoming a haven for drugs and public safety collapsing.”

Yoon has also been dismissing calls for independent investigations into scandals involving his wife and top officials, drawing quick, strong rebukes from his political rivals.

Al Jazeera’s Eunice Kim said the calling the announcement unexpected was an “understatement”.

“We are quite in shock with this development … I think everybody is trying to understand why, and what this means for life here in South Korea,” Kim said from the South Korean capital Seoul.

“The President’s approval rating really has struggled since day one. He had some of the lowest approval rating of past Korean presidents, and currently, as of last week, we saw it at 25 percent according to the pollster Realmeter.”