Taiwan Lawmakers to Review Martial Law Restrictions After South Korea Emergency

Taiwan’s legislature is set to review a proposed amendment that would significantly curtail the president’s power to declare martial law, following the recent emergency declaration in South Korea, Bloomberg reports.

The amendment, championed by the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) party, would require the legislature to ratify any martial law declaration within 24 hours, a stark contrast to the current law which allows a month.

Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu announced Friday that the proposed change would be debated by lawmakers. The current legislation, unchanged for 75 years, has drawn criticism following the unexpected martial law declaration in South Korea earlier this month. The KMT’s proposal will now be examined by the legislature’s foreign affairs and defense committee.

The amendment’s introduction comes at a time of heightened political tension in Taiwan. While President Tsai Ing-wen’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lost its legislative majority in January’s elections, the KMT, along with the Taiwan People’s Party, have capitalized on this shift to pursue legislative initiatives aimed at limiting presidential authority. These actions have sparked considerable political debate and even widespread public demonstrations.