The President's Daily Brief - PDB Afternoon Bulletin | December 3rd, 2024: South Korea’s Martial Law Chaos & Trump’s Warning to Hamas

Episode Date: December 3, 2024

In this episode of The PDB Afternoon Bulletin: Breaking news from the Far East: South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is lifting his declared of martial law, averting what could have been a major constitutional crisis—but leaving his political future uncertain. Later in the show, President-elect Donald Trump issues a stark warning to Hamas, vowing there will be "hell to pay" if American hostages are not released before his inauguration. To listen to the show ad-free, become a premium member of The President’s Daily Brief by visiting PDBPremium.com. Please remember to subscribe if you enjoyed this episode of The President's Daily Brief. YouTube: youtube.com/@presidentsdailybrief Patriot Gold: Call 1-888-870-5457 for a free investor guide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money. Because behind every headline is a bottom line. Whether it's the funds fueling AI or crypto's trillion dollar swings, there's a money side to every story. And when you see the money side, you understand what others miss. Get the money side of the story. Subscribe now at Bloomberg.com.

This episode is brought to you by Patriot Gold Group. Protect your retirement assets and safeguard your future. Speak with the experts at Patriot Gold Today. Now, they've been the top-rated gold IRA dealer for seven years in a row. Think about that. That's a lot of years in a row. Go to Patriot Gold Group.com or call 1-888-621-3856 for a free investor guide. It's Tuesday, 3 December. Welcome to the PDB afternoon bulletin.

I'm Mike Baker. Your eyes and ears on the world stage. Let's get briefed. Today, we begin with breaking news from the Far East. South Korean president Yun Suk Yul has declared martial law, granting sweeping powers to the military only to reverse himself just hours later. We'll bring you all the details. Later in the show, President-elect Trump delivers a stark warning to Hamas, declaring that there will be, quote, hell to pay if American hostages are not released before he takes office. But first, today's after. Today's after afternoon spotlight. Breaking news from one of America's closest allies in the Far East,

South Korean President Yun Sukyo has announced that he will lift martial law after lawmakers voted to reject his controversial move. Now, this decision marks a dramatic turn in a crisis that has gripped the nation for, well, for hours. I mean, seriously, this could be the quickest constitutional crisis in South Korean history. Earlier today, President Yun declared martial law, deploying military troops and police and riot gear across the streets of Seoul. It was a stunning and controversial decision in a country that hasn't seen such measures since its authoritarian era in the late 1970s and 1980s. In his initial late-night television address, President Yun stated that martial law was necessary to, quote, rebuild and protect the nation from falling into the depths of national ruin. Hmm. He vowed to, quote, eliminate anti-state forces as quickly as possible and normalize the country. Well, I guess he did do that because he's lifted martial law. But he was calling on citizens to trust his leadership despite some, quote, inconveniences. Sorry, folks. I've declared martial law. There will be some inconveniences. The announcement immediately, as you might suspect, drew backlash from across the political spectrum. Opposition leader, Li J. Mion,

a fierce rival of Yunns called the martial law declaration illegal and unconstitutional. Even members of the president's own conservative party, including the leader of that party, criticized the move as wrong and promised to work against it. Now, South Korean law provides that martial law can be overturned by a majority vote in parliament. Well, that's very Democratic. And in a late-night emergency session, well, the National Assembly, led by the opposition Democratic Party, voted overwhelmingly to demand its repeal. Under South Korean law, the president is obligated to honor this resolution.

The Speaker of the National Assembly declared President Yun's martial law decree null and void after the vote. In a follow-up statement, President Yun confirmed he would comply with the Assembly's decision. Martial law, he said, would be lifted without delay in accordance with the law, though he urged South Koreans to remain vigilant against what he described. as, quote, threats to the constitutional order. Now, the rapid reversal has calmed tension somewhat, but questions remain about the president's judgment and political future. Critics have pointed to the president's waning approval ratings and difficulties in navigating a divided parliament as reasons behind the martial law declaration.

His administration has faced scandals involving top officials, well, and his wife, fierce opposition over budget disputes and ongoing impeachment efforts targeting his allies. This marks the first time the martial law has been declared in South Korea since its democratization in 1987. The last such declaration occurred back in 1979, under authoritarian rule, an era that South Koreans fought to leave behind. While the immediate crisis appears to have subsided, protesters do continue to gather outside the National Assembly with some calling for the President's resignation and arrest. As South Korea regains its footing, the international community, of course, remains closely focused on the political and strategic implications for a key ally in the Indo-Pacific. All right, up next.

President-elect Trump delivers a stark warning to Hamas, declaring that there will be, quote, held to pay if American hostages are not released before he takes office. I'll be right back. How many discounts does USAA auto insurance offer? Too many to say here. Multi-vehicle discount. Safe driver discount? New vehicle discount. Storage discount. How many discounts will you stack up?

Tap the banner or visit usa.com slash auto discounts. Restrictions apply. As the Krispy Chicken sandwich from 7-Eleven, people always call me loud. And I'm like, yeah, I know. I'm crispy. Did you expect me to whisper? If you want quiet, go eat some soup and reflect.

Like, I know I'm a handful. I'm bold, I'm juicy. Throw some pickles and barbecue sauce on me and baby I'm a whole meal. And with seven rewards, I'm just $4. Quiet, no. Crispy, saucy, and $4? Very. Only at 711.

Valley 362326 participating stores only while supplies last the app for full terms. Welcome back to the afternoon bulletin. President-elect Donald Trump on Monday issued a stark ultimatum to Hamas, warning that there will be, quote, all held to pay if the hostages held in Gaza are not released before he takes office on 20 January. Trump's statement posted on truth social criticized the lack of progress in securing the release of the remaining hostages, including seven Americans, who were abducted, of course, during Hamas' 7 October terror attacks on Israel last year. That assault left more than 1,200 people dead. Trump posted, quote, everybody,

talking about the hostages, but it's all talk and no action, end quote. The president-elect pledged that failure to free the captives would result in unprecedented repercussions for those responsible, stating, quote, they will be hit harder than anybody has been hit in the long and storied history of the United States of America, release the hostages now, end quote. For context, negotiations for a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas have stalled with the Israeli defense forces, the IDF, continuing military operations in Gaza more than a year after the attacks. Now, families of the hostages have expressed hope that, well, that Trump's

engagement could revitalize these efforts, both in public and behind closed doors. The crisis, however, deepened over the weekend when the Iran-backed terror group released a video showing Israeli-American hostage aide on Alexander pleading for his release. Alexander, who has been in captivity for over 420 days, delivered forced messages to both Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Trump. Netanyahu has since spoken with Alexander's family and vowed to, quote, take every action to bring them back home. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham commented on Trump's stance,

telling Axios that the president-elect seeks a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza before his inauguration. Trump's rhetoric, combined with his, his demand for immediate action could mark a turning point in efforts to resolve the crisis. Now, I did caveat that with the word could. And that, my friends, is the PDB afternoon bulletin for Tuesday, 3 December. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at PDB at thefirsttv.com. And, of course, if you're Johnson for an ad-free PDB experience, well, it's simple. Just become a premium member of the president's daily brief by visiting pdb premium.com.

Look at that. I told you it was simple. I'm Mike Baker and I'll be back tomorrow. Until then, stay informed. Stay safe. Stay cool. Ryan Reynolds here for MintMobile. I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same premium wireless for $15 a month plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities. So do like I did and have one of your assistants assistants to switch you to MintMobile today. I'm told it's super easy to do at mintmobile.com slash switch. Up front payment of $45 for three-month plan equivalent to $15 per month required. Intro rate first three months only, then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra. See full terms at mintmobile.com.