SOUTH KOREA – A chaotic night in South Korea produced scenes most thought were consigned to the nation’s history. One in particular has caught the attention of many: a woman confronting soldiers who were sent to block lawmakers from entering the National Assembly. Footage of Ahn Gwi-ryeong, 35, a spokesperson for the opposition Democratic Party, grabbing the weapon of a soldier during the commotion has been shared widely online. “I didn’t think… I just knew we had to stop this,” she told the BBC Korean Service.

Ahn made her way to the assembly building as soldiers descended on it, shortly after the president declared martial law across South Korea. Like many in South Korea’s younger generation, the word “martial law” was foreign to her. It was last declared in 1979. When Ahn first heard the news, she admitted “a sense of panic took over”.

When martial law is declared, political activities like rallies and demonstrations are banned, strikes and labour actions are prohibited, and media and publishing activities are controlled by the authorities. Violators can be arrested or detained without a warrant. Shortly after the declaration of martial law, opposition leader Lee Jae-myung called on lawmakers to gather in the National Assembly and hold a vote to annul the declaration.  Arriving at the assembly building just past 23:00 local time, Ahn recalled turning off office lights to avoid detection as helicopters circled overhead. (BBC)

A night of political upheaval in South Korea has upended stability in a key democratic US ally – sending shock waves through the region and Washington at a moment of acute global tension. South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on Tuesday night in a surprise decree that was reversed hours later following overwhelming opposition across the political spectrum for what was widely seen as a breach of the country’s vibrant democracy. The move, which Yoon claimed was necessary to “save the country against anti-state forces” trying to destroy the “constitutional order of liberal democracy,” was met by protests in Seoul and mounting calls for the president’s resignation. The stunning development appeared to catch Washington off guard. That’s an unnerving reality for the United States military, which has nearly 30,000 troops and its largest overseas base in South Korea, serving as a check against a belligerent North Korea and counterweight to an aggressive China in a strategically critical region.

The turmoil has the potential for significant ramifications at a moment of deepening geopolitical fault lines in Asia, where both North Korea and China are strengthening their alignment with Russia as it wages war on Ukraine. Leaders in Pyongyang, Beijing and Moscow are likely watching the developments in Seoul with an eye to its potential to undermine a key bastion of US power in the region – and all eyes are now on North Korea, which may be keen to use the political chaos to its advantage. (CNN)

Photo: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet in Russia’s Far East. (Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES  –  Sean “Diddy” Combs has been accused in a new lawsuit of dangling a woman from the 17th-floor balcony of an apartment during an altercation. The lawsuit filed in Los Angeles by fashion designer Bryana “Bana” Bongolan alleges the incident happened in 2016 while she was at the home of Mr Combs’ then-girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura. It is the latest in more than two dozen lawsuits accusing Mr Combs of several offences, including sexual assault, drugging people, threatening witnesses and causing physical harm.

The music mogul is also facing federal charges in a racketeering and sex trafficking scheme. He has denied all the allegations, including the latest claim. A representative told the BBC last Tuesday that he “firmly denies these serious allegations” in the new lawsuit and “remains confident they will ultimately be proven baseless”. Ms Bongolan says she was spending the night Ms Ventura’s apartment when Mr Combs started shouting and banging on the front door, the lawsuit states. After coming inside the home, Mr Combs allegedly confronted Ms Bongolan, who was on the balcony at the time. The lawsuit states he allegedly grabbed and molested her. He then lifted her up and started dangling her from the balcony of the unit, the lawsuit alleges. At the time of the incident, Ms Bongolan weighed about 100lb (45.3 kg), according to the lawsuit.

It claims Ms Bongolan “attempted to resist him, throwing her weight back in a desperate struggle to avoid being thrown to the ground and likely to her death”, but Mr Combs “easily overpowered her”. The lawsuit states that Ms Ventura came outside to intervene, and Mr Combs allegedly pulled Ms Bongolan back over the ledge by slamming her onto patio furniture. A representative for the rapper denied the allegations in a statement to the BBC last Tuesday. “Anyone has the right to file a lawsuit, regardless of the evidence they may or may not have,” the statement reads, adding Mr Combs “has unwavering faith in the facts and in the fairness of the judicial process”. It continues: “In court, the truth will come to light, demonstrating that the claims against Mr Combs are without merit.” Ms Bongolan claims she did not and still does not know what provoked the alleged incident, according to the suit. She is seeking $10million (£7.89million) in damages from the rapper. In the lawsuit, Ms Bongolan alleged that it was a “culmination of a series of threats, intimidation and violence that coloured many of Ms Bongolan’s interactions with Mr Combs from the day she met him”.

The allegations echo an incident noted in a separate lawsuit filed by Ms Ventura against Mr Combs. That lawsuit – which was filed in 2023 and settled the day after – alleged abuse, rape and sex trafficking. It noted an episode at Ms Ventura’s apartment when Mr Combs “picked up one of Ms Ventura’s friends like a child and dangled the friend over the balcony”. Ms Bongolan also alleges that she endured “terror and abuse” from Combs throughout their professional relationship, which began when the music mogul approached her to collaborate on projects such as a clothing line and album cover art. Mr Combs is being held in jail at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, after being denied bail three times by a judge. (BBC)

Photo: Sean “Diddy” Combs. (Reuters)