Wednesday Briefing: A brief martial law in South Korea
Good morning. We’re covering a short-lived martial law order in South Korea and China banning mineral exports to the U.S. Plus, gladiator for a day.
South Korea’s president dropped his martial law orderPresident Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea promised to convene his cabinet and lift the emergency declaration of martial law that he imposed yesterday. His decision came hours after the National Assembly voted to end the order. Here’s the latest. The backlash to Yoon’s order of martial law was swift. His own party criticized the move and the opposition condemned it as “illegal.” Thousands of protesters took to the streets in Seoul, demanding his resignation. The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, one of the largest and most militant unions, declared an “indefinite general strike” until Yoon stepped down. Yoon, who is deeply unpopular, had issued the order in response to what he called an “insurgency” by the opposition that was “trying to overthrow the free democracy.” Martial law granted him the power to ban all political activities and take command of the news media. It was unclear if the government had taken either of those actions. Context: Elected after a close race in 2022, Yoon has been in a near-constant political standoff with the opposition, which controls the National Assembly. This was South Korea’s first martial law declaration in more than four decades, after the end of a military dictatorship in the late 1980s. Here’s what else you need to know.
China is banning rare mineral exports to the U.S.China said that it would begin banning the export of several rare minerals to the U.S., an escalation of the tech war between the world’s two biggest powers. Sales of gallium, germanium, antimony and so-called superhard materials to the U.S. would be halted immediately because they have dual military and civilian uses, China’s Ministry of Commerce said. The export of graphite would also be subject to stricter review. Analysis: The ban signals Beijing’s willingness to engage in supply chain warfare by blocking the export of components used to make products like weaponry and semiconductors. China is central to many global supply chains, but it generally refrained from clamping down on its own exports during the first Trump administration. Senior Chinese officials are worried that President-elect Donald Trump plans more stringent policies.
A report on forced adoptions of children from UkrainePresident Vladimir Putin of Russia and senior Kremlin officials “intentionally and directly” authorized coerced fostering and adoption of Ukrainian children during the war in Ukraine, according to a Yale University report. The report provides strong new evidence for a war crimes case against Putin and other officials, the researchers said. Details: The investigation identified 314 children from Ukraine who were placed in a “systematic program of coerced adoption and fostering.” It details evidence of direct orders from senior Russian officials, including Putin, to carry out the adoption program. What’s next: Ukrainian officials and members of the Yale research team are scheduled to explain their findings to a special meeting of the U.N. Security Council today, a statement said. In the war: NATO’s new top diplomat suggested that Ukraine should put off peace talks with Russia until Western allies can send enough military aid to help Kyiv bolster its position beforehand. |
