DPP Deletes Controversial Social Media Post Comparing South Korean Martial Law to Taiwan.

Taipei: A social media account managed by Taiwan's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) swiftly removed a post on Tuesday that likened the current situation in Taiwan's legislature to a scenario that led to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declaring martial law. According to Focus Taiwan, the post on the social media platform Threads, made by "lydppcaucus," an account operated by the DPP's legislative caucus, claimed that "the South Korean parliament has been manipulated by North Korean forces." It further stated that "South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced emergency martial law nationwide to protect the free constitutional system." The post emphasized that the DPP was "every second and every minute opposing global dark and evil forces encroaching on [Taiwan]." It also accused opposition parties in Taiwan's Legislature of obstructing national security proposals, unconstitutionally expanding their powers, and reducing the defense budget. The post was removed approximately 20 minutes after it was made, and a new statement criticizing martial law was posted instead. The replacement post highlighted the DPP's historical context, stating, "The Democratic Progressive Party was a political party established during [Taiwan's] martial law period," and emphasized that the party "deeply knows the harm that martial law has done to democratic societies." It clarified that the original post was meant to share international information and compare it with Taiwan's political situation, not to endorse martial law. On Wednesday, Taiwan's main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), released a statement on Facebook, condemning both the DPP's initial post and its subsequent statement. The KMT urged President Lai Ching-te to apologize and clarify his stance, suggesting parallels between his leadership style and the actions of the South Korean president. The KMT questioned whether the DPP was establishing a new party-state system. The Taiwan People's Party (TPP), Taiwan's third-largest political party, also critici zed the DPP's quickly-deleted post, indicating that the DPP harbored a "martial law mentality." It is noteworthy that Taiwan was under KMT rule with martial law from 1949 to 1987.