CNN: South Korean President Declares Martial Law, All Media Will Be Under Control of Martial Law Command

ACOSTA Good morning you ░░░░░░░░ live in CNN Newsroom ░░░░░░░░ m Jim Acosta in ░░░░░░░░ We do begin with ░░░░░░░░ news a stunning move ░░░░░░░░ a critical U S ░░░░░░░░ President of South Korea ░░░░░░░░ declared martial law in ░░░░░░░░ country He made the ░░░░░░░░ in a late night ░░░░░░░░ address saying it s ░░░░░░░░ to protect the country ░░░░░░░░ communist forces Let s ░░░░░░░░ to CNN s Mike ░░░░░░░░ in Seoul Mike obviously ░░░░░░░░ news here in the ░░░░░░░░ S What more can ░░░░░░░░ tell us VALERIO Jim ░░░░░░░░ is a stunning move ░░░░░░░░ we have an unpopular ░░░░░░░░ who in an unplanned ░░░░░░░░ address said that he ░░░░░░░░ to implement martial law ░░░░░░░░ this bastion of democracy ░░░░░░░░ in east Asia in ░░░░░░░░ to preserve the rule ░░░░░░░░ law So going back ░░░░░░░░ this speech that happened ░░░░░░░░ about two hours ago ░░░░░░░░ to the nation President ░░░░░░░░ Suk Yeol writing that ░░░░░░░░ is taking these measures ░░░░░░░░ safeguard a liberal South ░░░░░░░░ from the threats posed ░░░░░░░░ North Korea s communist ░░░░░░░░ and to eliminate anti ░░░░░░░░ elements Now Jim at ░░░░░░░░ hour as we now ░░░░░░░░ over 12 01 A ░░░░░░░░ Wednesday local time here ░░░░░░░░ the heart of Seoul ░░░░░░░░ is unclear what exact ░░░░░░░░ this president will take ░░░░░░░░ to implement martial law ░░░░░░░░ Korea hasn t been ░░░░░░░░ this kind of rule ░░░░░░░░ kind of situation since ░░░░░░░░ was under the rule ░░░░░░░░ military dictatorship in the ░░░░░░░░ But I can tell ░░░░░░░░ just living very close ░░░░░░░░ here our CNN Bureau ░░░░░░░░ the center of Seoul ░░░░░░░░ officers are on their ░░░░░░░░ Jim asking their superiors ░░░░░░░░ is going on Family ░░░░░░░░ are getting to loved ░░░░░░░░ homes as fast as ░░░░░░░░ can at least in ░░░░░░░░ neighborhood And we have ░░░░░░░░ who are gathering at ░░░░░░░░ national assembly a couple ░░░░░░░░ miles away from here ░░░░░░░░ are trying to bring ░░░░░░░░ to a stop We ░░░░░░░░ lawmakers in the middle ░░░░░░░░ the night from the ░░░░░░░░ party who are saying ░░░░░░░░ so many words paraphrasing ░░░░░░░░ Hey this this is ░░░░░░░░ illegal was done without ░░░░░░░░ consent and needs to ░░░░░░░░ stopped immediately So what ░░░░░░░░ are probably going to ░░░░░░░░ over the next couple ░░░░░░░░ hours are members of ░░░░░░░░ Democratic Party the opposition ░░░░░░░░ trying to meet in ░░░░░░░░ national assembly to cancel ░░░░░░░░ stunning move In terms ░░░░░░░░ what we have been ░░░░░░░░ to figure out Jim ░░░░░░░░ just crossing over the ░░░░░░░░ wire before we go ░░░░░░░░ media apparently will be ░░░░░░░░ control of martial law ░░░░░░░░ starting immediately We are ░░░░░░░░ to figure out what ░░░░░░░░ anything that means for ░░░░░░░░ here at CNN what ░░░░░░░░ means for democracy in ░░░░░░░░ Korea But truly an ░░░░░░░░ situation here as we ░░░░░░░░ midnight in Seoul Jim ░░░░░░░░ Yeah I traveled to ░░░░░░░░ Korea I traveled to ░░░░░░░░ with multiple U S ░░░░░░░░ and I mean obviously ░░░░░░░░ s a bastion of ░░░░░░░░ in that part of ░░░░░░░░ world You mentioned a ░░░░░░░░ moments ago that the ░░░░░░░░ Korean president is unpopular ░░░░░░░░ is the opposition saying ░░░░░░░░ this point VALERIO Well ░░░░░░░░ opposition is saying that ░░░░░░░░ are using their legal ░░░░░░░░ to try to get ░░░░░░░░ out of power They ░░░░░░░░ been trying to impeach ░░░░░░░░ president for months I ░░░░░░░░ say even years now ░░░░░░░░ we have Jim a ░░░░░░░░ whose approval rating is ░░░░░░░░ the low 20s right ░░░░░░░░ The opposition leaders have ░░░░░░░░ trying to get him ░░░░░░░░ of office have been ░░░░░░░░ to get people who ░░░░░░░░ his government out of ░░░░░░░░ impeach ministers as well ░░░░░░░░ that seems to be ░░░░░░░░ prelude to what is ░░░░░░░░ now The opposition trying ░░░░░░░░ impeach the president and ░░░░░░░░ members of his government ░░░░░░░░ the president of South ░░░░░░░░ reacting in this way ░░░░░░░░ martial law when there ░░░░░░░░ been protests echoing through ░░░░░░░░ streets of South Korea ░░░░░░░░ weeks now to try ░░░░░░░░ get him out of ░░░░░░░░ ACOSTA Alright very unsettling ░░░░░░░░ emerging in Seoul South ░░░░░░░░ Mike Valerio please keep ░░░░░░░░ posted if there are ░░░░░░░░ new developments We appreciate ░░░░░░░░ VALERIO: “Will do.”