North Korea Condemns South Korea’s Martial Law Declaration

North Korea has issued a scathing condemnation of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s attempt to impose martial law last week, describing his actions as a dictatorial power grab that plunged the nation into crisis, Bloomberg reports.

In a statement released Wednesday by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea accused Yoon of wielding the “gun and knives of dictatorship” against his own people. The statement detailed the events surrounding Yoon’s declaration of martial law, its subsequent six-hour revocation following a parliamentary vote, and the failed impeachment attempt against him. The statement also highlighted widespread public protests calling for Yoon’s resignation.

“The international community is closely watching the situation in South Korea, where the emergency martial law and impeachment controversy have exposed the vulnerability of South Korean society,” the KCNA statement read.

The unprecedented events in South Korea, which shook global markets, have left Yoon’s political future hanging in the balance. He faces a renewed threat of impeachment, a criminal probe, and internal party pressure to step down.

North Korea, under the rule of Kim Jong Un, has consistently adopted a hostile stance towards its southern neighbor. Earlier this year, Kim declared his legal right to annihilate South Korea.