President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea declared martial law on Tuesday night, accusing the opposition of “trying to overthrow the free democracy.” But about five hours later, he said he would lift the declaration, bowing to pressure after the National Assembly unanimously passed a resolution demanding that it end.

韩国总统尹锡悦周二晚间宣布戒严，指责反对派“试图推翻自由民主”。但在大约五小时后，屈服于国会一致通过决议要求解除戒严的压力，尹锡悦称他将解除戒严。

“I will lift martial law as soon as we have a quorum in the cabinet. It’s early in the morning, so we don’t have a quorum yet,” Mr. Yoon said in an address. He called on the legislature to “immediately stop the outrageous behavior that is paralyzing the functioning of the country with impeachments, legislative manipulation and budget manipulation.”

“内阁成员达到法定人数后，我将立即解除戒严令。现在还是凌晨，我们还没有达到法定人数。”尹锡悦在讲话中说。他呼吁国会“立即停止通过弹劾、操纵立法和操纵预算等手段使国家运转陷入瘫痪的骇人行为”。

It was the first martial law declaration in more than four decades in South Korea, which saw the end of a military dictatorship in the late 1980s. Mr. Yoon, who was elected president in 2022, has been in a near-constant political standoff with the opposition, which controls Parliament, and his government has faced plunging public approval ratings.

这是韩国40多年来首次宣布戒严，韩国于1980年代末结束了军事独裁统治。尹锡悦于2022年当选总统，他与控制国会的反对派几乎一直处于政治对峙状态，他的政府面临着民众支持率暴跌的问题。

In his speech declaring martial law late Tuesday, Mr. Yoon said he was making the move to “defend the free Republic of Korea from the threats of North Korean communist forces and to eradicate the shameless pro-North Korean anti-state forces that are plundering the freedom and happiness of our people and to protect the free constitutional order. Through this emergency martial law, I will rebuild and defend the free Republic of Korea, which is falling into ruin.”

尹锡悦在周二晚间宣布戒严的讲话中表示，他采取这一举措是为了“捍卫自由大韩民国免受朝鲜共产主义势力的威胁，剿灭掠夺我国人民自由和幸福的无耻亲朝鲜反国家势力，维护自由宪政秩序。通过实施紧急戒严，将重建并捍卫自由大韩民国，以防国家走入亡国之路”。

What does the martial law declaration mean?

戒严令意味着什么？

The country’s constitution states that the president may proclaim martial law when “required to cope with a military necessity or to maintain the public safety and order by mobilization of the military forces in time of war, armed conflict or similar national emergency.”

韩国宪法规定，总统在“战争、武装冲突或类似的国家紧急状态期间动员军队，以应对军事需要或维护公共安全和秩序”时，可以宣布戒严。

Army Gen. Park An-Su, who was appointed martial law commander by Mr. Yoon, banned “all political activities,” including political party activities and citizens’ rallies. “All news media and publications are under the control of martial law command,” General Park said.

陆军大将朴安秀被尹锡悦任命为戒严司令官，他禁止“一切政治活动”，包括政党活动和公民集会。朴安秀说：“所有新闻媒体和出版物都要接受戒严司令部的控制。”

His edict also banned labor activities and spreading “fake news.” Those who violate the decree can be arrested without a court warrant, it said. According to South Korean news agency Yonhap, the martial law command says all media and publishers are to be under its control, and orders all medical staff including trainee doctors, many of whom have been on strike, to return to work in 48 hours. Those who violate the martial law can be arrested without a warrant.

他还宣布禁止劳工活动和传播“假新闻”。戒严令称，违反戒严令的人可在未经法院授权的情况下被逮捕。据韩联社报道，戒严司令部表示，所有媒体和出版商都将受到控制，并命令所有医务人员（包括许多一直在罢工的实习医生）在48小时内返回工作岗位。违反戒严令的人可在没有逮捕令的情况下被逮捕。

Who is Yoon Suk Yeol?

尹锡悦是谁？

Mr. Yoon, a former prosecutor, won an extremely close presidential election in 2022, bringing the country’s conservatives back to power with calls for a more confrontational stance against North Korea and a stronger alliance with the United States. He replaced President Moon Jae-in, a progressive leader who served a single five-year term, and by law could not run again.

尹锡悦曾任检察官，2022年，他在总统选举中以微弱优势获胜，从而使韩国保守派重新掌权。他呼吁对朝鲜采取更加强硬的立场，并与美国建立更牢固的联盟。他的前任总统文在寅是一位进步派领导人，完成了一届五年任期，根据法律规定，总统不能连任。

When he was sworn in to office in May of that year, Mr. Yoon vowed to stand for values including freedom and liberal democracy.

同年5月宣誓就职时，尹锡悦誓言要捍卫自由和自由民主在内的价值观。

Soon after he was elected, however, Mr. Yoon began turning to lawsuits, state regulators and criminal investigations to clamp down on speech that he called disinformation, efforts that were largely aimed at news organizations. Police and prosecutors repeatedly raided the homes and newsrooms of journalists whom his office has accused of spreading “fake news.”

然而，尹锡悦当选后不久就开始诉诸法律手段、国家监管和刑事调查来打击他所称的虚假信息言论，这些努力主要针对新闻机构。警方和检察官多次突击搜查记者的住宅和新闻编辑部，总统办公室指控他们传播“假新闻”。

In April, Mr. Yoon’s People Power Party suffered a stinging defeat in parliamentary elections, giving the opposition a huge majority. He became the first South Korean president in decades to contend with an opposition-controlled Parliament for his entire time in office.

今年4月，尹锡悦领导的国民力量党在国会选举中惨败，反对党获得了绝对多数席位。他成为数十年来首位在任期间一直与反对党控制的国会抗衡的韩国总统。

How did South Korea’s political parties react?

韩国各个政党有何反应？

Han Dong-hoon, the leader of Mr. Yoon’s own People Power Party, said the declaration of martial law is “wrong” and that he will “block it,” South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported.

据韩联社报道，尹锡悦所属的国民力量党党魁韩东勋表示，宣布戒严是“错误的”，他将“阻止它” 。

Lee Jae-myung, the South Korean opposition leader, recorded a video in a car on his way to the National Assembly, asking citizens to congregate there. “There is no reason to declare martial law. We cannot let the military rule this country,” he said. “President Yoon Suk Yeol has betrayed the people. President Yoon’s illegal declaration of emergency martial law is null and void. From this moment on, Mr. Yoon is no longer the president of South Korea.”

在前往国会的路上，韩国反对党领袖李在明在车里录制了一段视频，呼吁民众到国会聚集。“没有理由宣布戒严。我们不能让军队统治这个国家，”他说。“尹锡悦总统背叛了人民。尹锡悦非法宣布紧急戒严是无效的。从这一刻起，尹锡悦已不再是韩国总统。”

Lee Jae-jung, a South Korean lawmaker who is a member of the Democratic Party, wrote on Facebook that she was making her way to the National Assembly. “We will stop this at all costs,” she said.

韩国共同民主党议员李在汀在Facebook上写道，她正在前往国会。“我们将不惜一切代价阻止它发生，”她说。

Broadcasts by state news media showed soldiers and police officers pushing against citizens trying to enter the National Assembly building as protesters shouted, “End martial law! End martial law!”

国家新闻媒体的报道显示，士兵和警察推搡试图进入国会大楼的民众，抗议者高呼“解除戒严！解除戒严！”。

How could martial law be lifted?

戒严该如何解除？

Under South Korean law, martial law can be lifted with a majority vote in the parliament, where the opposition Democratic Party holds a majority. When “the National Assembly requests the lifting of martial law, the President shall, without delay, do so and announce it,” the law states.

根据韩国法律，只要国会多数票通过，即可解除戒严，而反对党共同民主党在国会中占多数席位。法律规定，当“国会要求解除戒严时，总统应立即照做，并向民众宣布”。

Live footage from the National Assembly showed that some lawmakers seemed to be holding an emergency meeting held by Woo Won-shik, the speaker of the National Assembly.

国会现场直播画面显示，部分议员似乎正在参加由国会议长禹元植主持的紧急会议。

Mr. Woo later said President Yoon’s declaration of martial law had become “null and void” after the assembly adopted a resolution demanding its lifting.

禹元植随后表示，议会通过决议要求解除戒严，总统尹锡悦的戒严令“无效”。