Filipinos in South Korea have remained calm after martial law was declared and subsequently lifted, according to an official from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
“No one is calling the embassy to report distress, as it appears the situation was due to political issues rather than problems with peace and order. However, the President mentioned that the threat from North Korea has become stronger,” said DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Eduardo de Vega in an interview.
The official told Dobol B TV that the tension stemmed from political issues rather than concerns regarding public safety.
In Seoul, South Korea’s opposition moved to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol on Wednesday after his extraordinary but short-lived imposition of martial law that brought thousands of protesters to the streets.
Yoon’s shock bid to suspend civilian rule for the first time in over four decades—before being overturned by lawmakers in a night of drama—plunged South Korea into deep turmoil and alarmed its close allies.
The future of Yoon, a conservative politician and former star public prosecutor who was elected president in 2022, is now highly uncertain.
South Korea’s opposition parties, whose lawmakers jumped fences and tussled with security forces to vote down the law, on Wednesday filed a motion to impeach Yoon.
“We’ve submitted an impeachment motion prepared urgently,” said Kim Yong-min from the opposition Democratic Party (DP).
They were yet to decide when to put it to a vote, but it could come as soon as Friday.
The opposition holds a large majority in the 300-member parliament and needs only a handful of defections from the president’s party to secure the two-thirds majority needed to pass the motion.
Earlier the DP said it would file charges of “insurrection,” against Yoon, his defense and interior ministers and “key military and police figures involved, such as the martial law commander and the police chief,” the DP said in a statement.
The nation’s largest umbrella labour union called an “indefinite general strike” until Yoon resigns.
The Philippine Embassy in Seoul stated that life continues as normal, with regular operations at the embassy and other embassies functioning without issue.
Nonetheless, it advised Filipinos to exercise caution, especially if they plan to continue their trips.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Filipinos in South Korea remain calm amid martial law troubles.”
