South Korean parliament votes to lift martial law following president’s declaration
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(LONDON) — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared an “emergency martial law” in a televised speech on Tuesday, the Yonhap news agency reported.
Yoon said the measure was necessary due to the actions of the country’s opposition, which he accused of controlling parliament, sympathizing with North Korea and paralyzing the government.
“I declare martial law in order to eradicate the shameless pro-North Korea anti-state forces that are plundering the freedom and happiness of our people and to protect the free constitutional order,” Yoon said, as quoted by ABC News editorial partner KBS.
Hours after the declaration, the National Assembly voted early Wednesday morning demanding that the president lift the martial law order. A majority voted to lift it.
Explaining his decision, Yoon accused the opposition-dominated parliament of “paralyzing” judicial affairs and the administration via 22 proposed cases of impeachment issued since the body convened in June.
Yoon’s conservative People Power Party has been locked in a fierce budget dispute with the liberal opposition Democratic Party.
“The handling of the national budget also cut all major budgets to have control over the essential functions of the state, the budget that was formed to crack down on drug crimes and maintain public security,” Yoon said Tuesday. “This undermines the essential functions of the state and leaves the public in a drug paradise and public security panic.”
“The National Assembly, which should be the basis of liberal democracy, has become a monster that collapses the liberal democracy system,” he added.
The Democratic Party responded by calling on its lawmakers to assemble at the National Assembly building in Seoul, Yonhap reported. Party leader Lee Jae-myung said Yoon’s martial law declaration was an “unconstitutional” measure that “goes against the people.”
“President Yoon declared emergency martial law for no reason,” Lee said, as quoted by Yonhap. “Tanks, armored vehicles and soldiers with guns and swords will soon control the country.”
Police and soldiers gathered around the National Assembly on Tuesday night after Yoon spoke. Footage from the scene also showed crowds descending on the building, some people making their way inside. Yonhap reported clashes between security personnel and National Assembly staffers as the former tried to enter the building.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon — a member of Yoon’s People Power Party — was among those who called for an immediate reversal of the declaration. “As mayor, I will do my best to protect the daily lives of citizens,” he added in a post to Facebook.
President Joe Biden’s administration is “in contact with” the South Korean government and is “monitoring the situation closely” following Yoon’s declaration, a White House National Security Council spokesperson confirmed to ABC News.
The spokesperson did not provide any further details, including whether Biden had been briefed on the matter.
Tuesday’s declaration is the first since the country’s democratization in 1987. Martial law was last declared in 1979 after the assassination of dictator Park Chung Hee.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
ABC News’ Joe Simonetti and Fritz Farrow contributed to this report.
Mathilde Kaczkowski/Hans Lucas/AFP via Getty Images
(LONDON) — President-elect Donald Trump will return to office on Monday having promised a peace deal to end Russia’s war on Ukraine, which is still raging nearly three years after President Vladimir Putin troops crossed into Ukraine expecting to be welcomed as heroes.
It is hard to say how Trump will try to unpick the twisted knot constricting eastern Europe.
The president-elect has hinted at territorial concessions and reduced aid for Ukraine in pursuit of peace, but has also suggested the U.S. will expand military support if Putin refuses to come to the table.
Ukrainian lawmakers and a former official told ABC News they are bracing to again deal with perhaps the most unpredictable president in living memory — one who former German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in her memoir engaged on “an emotional level.”
Oleksandr Merezhko, a member of the Ukrainian parliament and chair of the body’s foreign affairs committee, nominated Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize in November — an honor the president-elect has long coveted.
“Trump takes some things personally and we should establish human contact with him,” Merezhko told ABC News. “Our destiny and survival depends also on Trump — we should be respectful and constructive towards him.”
President Joe Biden “used to say that international relations are interpersonal relations — and it’s true,” Merezhko added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appears to have embarked on a Trump charm offensive of his own.
Zelenskyy was quick to laud Trump’s “historic landslide victory” in November, echoing the president-elect’s own “peace through strength” slogan.
A meeting with Trump in Paris in December was “good and productive,” Zelenskyy said, with the Ukrainian president praising Trump’s “strong resolve” and repeating the “peace through strength” mantra.
After a December meeting with European Union leaders in Brussels, Zelenskyy told reporters, “I think that President Trump is a strong man and I want very much to have him on our side.”
Asked how he would feel when Trump does take office in January, the Ukrainian president responded, “Welcome Donald! What can I say?”
Art of the deal In 2024 unlike in 2016, foreign leaders appeared prepared for a Trump election victory, their immediate reactions tailored to appeal to the president-elect’s transactional world view.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte framed aid to Ukraine as “a good deal” for Trump and the U.S.
Macron said he was ready to work towards “peace and prosperity” with his next American counterpart. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said he was looking forward to working towards “prosperity and freedom” with the incoming administration.
Ukraine will need to make itself attractive to the self-styled master dealmaker, mindful of the transactional brand of foreign policy he pursued in his first term and promised for his second.
Amid the leaks and innuendos, Yehor Cherniev — a member of the Ukrainian Parliament and the chairman of his country’s delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly — told ABC News he had seen little in the way of concrete policy about the future of Ukraine.
“We’ve used this time to deliver our position and our conditions for these new peace negotiations,” Cherniev said. “We’ve tried to explain and give information — not only to officials, but to U.S. citizens and Western people — that this war was started not for several territories of Ukraine or even for the whole of Ukraine as a country, but for the revision of the world order.”
Without NATO membership or a binding bilateral security deal with the U.S. akin to its agreements with Japan, South Korea or Israel, “it will be a failure of the whole Western world,” Cherniev said. “This is our position, and we try to deliver this position to officials in the Trump administration.”
Jonathan Eyal of the Royal United Services Institute think tank in the U.K., told ABC News there are indications that may encourage Kyiv, despite Trump’s repeated hints at Ukrainian concessions.
“It appears that Trump seems to have bought into the idea that he can’t end the Ukraine war with an American retreat, that this would look very bad for him to start his presidency with — a retreat that would look as humiliating as Biden’s from Kabul in the summer of 2021.”
“So, there is this search for something that could be presented as an end to the war that is also an honorable one and not one that ends up with a sellout — or with the sacrifice of — Ukraine,” he said.
Trump selected retired general Keith Kellogg as his special envoy to Ukraine and Russia. The pick, Eyal said, might pique hope in Kyiv.
“Kellogg is on record in a lot of media interviews and articles saying that the war could be brought to an end only from a position of strength, and only if Putin is impressed by America’s determination to otherwise continue the war,” he said.
“I think there is a level of optimism in Kyiv that somehow the administration seems to have accepted that merely to get Putin to the negotiating table for a ceasefire, the United States will have to appear to be determined to defend Ukrainian interests rather than betray them,” he added.
Peace through exhaustion Some in Ukraine may have their own personal political calculations. Zelenskyy, for example, will be under pressure to quickly hold the presidential election scheduled for spring 2024 but delayed due to the conflict.
The wartime leader became a global icon for his gruff fortitude in the opening stages of the war, but his domestic popularity has since dipped. There is no guarantee that a post-war election will deliver Zelenskyy another term, especially if his legacy is tainted by territorial concessions to Moscow.
“He doesn’t want to lose, obviously,” a former Ukrainian official told ABC News on the condition of anonymity. “And for this, he needs to blame Trump for a fast peace, for a ceasefire, as if Ukraine could win the territories. But everybody knows we cannot, and he also knows he cannot.”
Many Ukrainians are hopeful despite the thorny question of concessions, the former official said. “When people heard that Trump promised to finish the war, they understood it’s not possible to do in 24 hours, but at least it was a break of the status quo,” they said.
“These calls to stay as long as is needed with Ukraine — that lost any meaning long ago,” the former official added of the common refrain offered by allied leaders since February 2022.
“People don’t care anymore about losing territories or how it will happen,” the former official said. “They want suspension, they want a break, they want a ceasefire, any deal.”
“That’s why so many of them were so joyful to see Trump coming in power, and many still have big hopes that he is strong enough to stop this war.”
There remain many unknowns. Lawmaker Merezhko said his efforts to build ties with Trump’s team had so far not been reciprocated.
“I have the impression that they might be hesitant to reach out to Ukrainian politicians before the inauguration,” he said. “Perhaps they don’t know yet what Trump’s policy is with regard to Ukraine.”
But like many of his compatriots, Merezhko said he remained hopeful. “I don’t have a feeling that Trump’s presidency will be catastrophic for Ukraine,” he explained.
“Of course, he will make an attempt to stop Russia’s war against Ukraine, but I doubt that it will be a success,” Merezhko continued. “Not because of Trump, but because of Putin, who is absolutely not interested in peace or a ceasefire.”
“Reality — harsh reality — is more powerful than any plans, ideas or desires of politicians.”
(NEW YORK) — The climate crisis is not a distant threat; it’s happening right now and affecting what matters most to us. Hurricanes intensified by a warming planet and drought-fueled wildfires are destroying our communities. Rising seas and flooding are swallowing our homes. And record-breaking heat waves are reshaping our way of life.
The good news is we know how to turn the tide and avoid the worst possible outcomes. However, understanding what needs to be done can be confusing due to a constant stream of climate updates, scientific findings, and critical decisions that are shaping our future.
That’s why the ABC News Climate and Weather Unit is cutting through the noise by curating what you need to know to keep the people and places you care about safe. We are dedicated to providing clarity amid the chaos, giving you the facts and insights necessary to navigate the climate realities of today — and tomorrow.
How NASA could help solve the mystery of the 2024 temperature spike
Last year, 2024, was the warmest year on record for the planet, easily breaking the previous record set just a year earlier.
Scientists say the unfolding El Niño event superimposed on long-term global warming is a primary driver of this huge spike in global surface temperatures since mid-2023. But the magnitude of the increase shocked many experts, leaving them somewhat puzzled about what else could be behind the remarkable temperature.
NASA’s newest Earth-observing satellite, PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem), is expected to provide new data to help scientists understand how changing levels of different atmospheric aerosols impact Earth’s energy balance.
Millions of students are missing school because of extreme weather
A new analysis from UNICEF finds that nearly a quarter of a billion children worldwide had their education disrupted by extreme weather events in 2024 — exacerbating what the organization calls an “existing learning crisis.”
The report found that at least 242 million students across 85 countries experienced schooling disruptions last year because of extreme weather like heat waves, storms, floods, droughts and tropical cyclones.
“Children are more vulnerable to the impacts of weather-related crises, including stronger and more frequent heatwaves, storms, droughts and flooding,” UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said. “Last year, severe weather kept one in seven students out of class, threatening their health and safety, and impacting their long-term education.”
Heat waves were the most common weather disruptor for education. UNICEF found that over 118 million students were impacted by extreme heat in April alone, with South Asia seeing some of the most widespread impacts.
The report also found that September had the most frequent weather-related disruptions, with at least 16 countries suspending classes for a time due to extreme weather events like Typhoon Yagi in East Asia.
While the analysis found that almost three-quarters of the students impacted were in low and lower-middle income countries, UNICEF says no region was free from these effects.
“Education is one of the services most frequently disrupted due to climate hazards. Yet it is often overlooked in policy discussions, despite its role in preparing children for climate adaptation,” Russell said. “Children’s futures must be at the forefront of all climate related plans and actions.”
-ABC News climate unit’s Kelly Livingston
Climate funders say they will cover US climate obligations after Paris Agreement withdrawal
On Monday, President Donald Trump announced his intention to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, the U.N.-backed international climate treaty. Bloomberg Philanthropies announced Thursday that they, along with a coalition of climate charities, would step up and ensure that the U.S. meets its obligations under the Paris Agreement, including any financial and reporting requirements.
“While government funding remains essential to our mission, contributions like this are vital in enabling the UN Climate Change secretariat to support countries in fulfilling their commitments under the Paris Agreement and a low-emission, resilient, and safer future for everyone,” said Simon Stiell, United Nations climate change executive secretary, in a press statement.
This is the second time Trump has withdrawn the country from the Paris Agreement. During his first term, Trump justified backing out of the treaty by claiming that participating in the agreement would result in the loss of jobs and cost the U.S. trillions of dollars. In reality, in 2023, clean energy jobs grew at more than twice the rate of the overall U.S. labor market and accounted for more than 8.35 million positions, according to a Department of Energy report. In terms of spending, the U.S. has committed several billion dollars to the effort, not trillions.
Michael Bloomberg, a billionaire businessman, founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies and a U.N. Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions, said he also plans to continue supporting a coalition of states, cities and businesses that are working to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 61-66% below 2005 levels by 2035.
“More and more Americans have had their lives torn apart by climate-fueled disasters, like the destructive fires raging in California. At the same time, the United States is experiencing the economic benefits of clean energy, as costs have fallen and jobs have grown in both red and blue states. The American people remain determined to continue the fight against the devastating effects of climate change,” Bloomberg said.
Venezuelan community leaders speak to the media as they protest against the suspension of Temporary Protected Status in Doral, Fla., Feb. 3, 2025. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)
(WASHINGTON) — Nearly 350,000 Venezuelans who gained relief from deportation and obtained work permits in 2023 under Temporary Protected Status (TPS) will lose those protections in April, according to an unpublished notice filed in the Federal Register.
Last week, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced she was canceling a recent extension of the program by former Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas which would have allowed nearly 600,000 current Venezuelan TPS holders to maintain their legal status until October 2026. She had until Feb. 1 to decide whether she’d extend protections for those who joined the program in 2023.
Now, nearly 350,000 Venezuelan immigrants may lose their legal status if they don’t have any other type of relief.
The program began in 1990 as a way to protect immigrants who are already in the United States when their home countries are deemed to dangerous to return to. TPS is under the DHS Secretary’s discretion.
In the notice, DHS acknowledges that some of the conditions in Venezuela that the Biden administration used to justify TPS designation in 2023, “may continue.” However, they claim things have gotten better in the country.
“There are notable improvements in several areas such as the economy, public health, and crime that allow for these nationals to be safely returned to their home country,” the notice file says.
The agency adds that Sec. Noem “has determined it is contrary to the national interest to permit the covered Venezuelan nationals to remain temporarily in the United States.”
The notice is set to publish Feb. 5 and says the termination of the 2023 TPS Venezuela designation will be effective 60 days from date of publication, however, protections were already set to expire April 2 without an extension.
In a letter to Noem last week, a group of Democratic lawmakers said returning Venezuelan immigrants “to a dictatorship” would be a “death sentence.”
“Given Venezuela’s increased instability, repression, and lack of safety, and within all applicable rules and regulations, we demand more information on why the Department has made this decision,” the lawmakers said. “The only justification that has been offered by the Administration is the false claim that all Venezuelans are ‘dirt bags,’ ‘violent criminals’ or the ‘worst of the worst.'”
Immigrant advocates are also sounding the alarm about the move some consider “cruel” and “reckless.”
“Donald Trump’s attempt to revoke protections for 300,000 Venezuelans is as cruel as it is reckless — but we know he won’t stop here. His shock-and-awe approach to dismantling the immigration system is already devastating families and communities across the country, and we’re likely to see immigrants from Ukraine and Afghanistan targeted next,” Keri Talbot, co-executive director of the Immigration Hub, told ABC News.
“Families who have built their lives here — who work, contribute, and play by the rules — are under attack, being thrown into crisis overnight and forced from their homes. This isn’t about policy; it’s about inflicting harm at any cost.” Talbot added.
The termination does not apply to Venezuelans who registered under the 2021 TPS designation, those protections will remain in effect until Sept. 10, 2025.