Chaos out East
South Korea went for a wild ride Tuesday night.
President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law—when the military rules temporarily in a time of emergency—but reversed course after parliament unanimously rejected the declaration less than three hours later.
Here’s what you missed: Yoon has been at odds with parliament since the opposition party won the last election in a landslide. Yoon’s opponents have been moving to slash the government’s budget and investigate corruption allegations against the first lady… so Yoon went big, claiming martial law would restore order from “anti-state forces” trying to paralyze the country.
Large crowds of protesters gathered outside parliament, chanting “no martial law” as helicopters and law enforcement swarmed the area. With 190 of 300 members present, South Korea’s parliament quickly and unanimously moved to lift Yoon’s “illegal, unconstitutional” order.
ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Christians live as strangers and exiles in our home countries, whether that temporary home is peaceful, disorderly, or somewhere in between. Seek the good of the land you’re passing through while eagerly anticipating the advent of your permanent home.
“This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon: ‘Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their produce… Pursue the well-being of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf, for when it thrives, you will thrive.’”
Jeremiah 29:4-7 (CSB) (read full passage)