Senator-elect from New Jersey keeping close eye on South Korea turmoil
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- It was an announcement that took the world by surprise: South Korea's president declaring a state of martial law.
Within hours, he was forced to rescind that order, but not before chaos broke out.
Among the people watching the drama unfold is a New Jersey lawmaker who has deep family ties to South Korea.
READ MORE: South Korean state council passes resolution lifting martial law
"My parents and me and my sister, we're the only part of our family that's in the United States. The rest of our family is back in Korea," said United States Senator-Elect Andy Kim (D - New Jersey).
He received messages with headlines of the martial law declaration by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. It was something that, at first, he couldn't believe.
"I could not imagine that there was a martial law declaration," said Kim who is the son of Korean immigrants.
He was just as surprised as anyone on Tuesday.
"It was surreal," said Kim. "It was really sad honestly when I started to understand what happened."
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The sudden declaration opened the floodgates of protest and sent members of parliament scrambling to barricade themselves against soldiers as they voted against martial law.
It forced Yoon to reverse course and rescind the order only about six hours after it was issued.
One day later, Kim says, from what he understands, things in South Korea are still tense.
"It seems like the threat of that martial law has subsided," said Kim, "but now there are continued questions about what comes next."
"It has shaken the people," he said.
Opposition leaders say Yoon's motivation in declaring martial law was political. Yoon is very unpopular in South Korea, which is a key U.S. ally.
"I'm in regular touch with the White House. With the State Department, with senior leadership there," said Kim who has also reached out to his constituents who have loved ones in South Korea.
U.S. officials say they were blindsided by the martial law declaration. There are now calls for Yoon to resign or be impeached.
Kim thinks that at the heart of it all is a message on democracy.
"You should not ever be able to go outside the bounds of democracy unless there's an absolute national security crisis of the utmost importance," said Kim. "To do something like this was just crazy, honestly."
