The Evening: Political chaos in South Korea

Also, China banned rare mineral exports to the U.S.

View in browser|nytimes.com December 3, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Tuesday. Brief martial law in South Korea China's ban on rare mineral exports Plus, the 10 best books of the year Demonstrators celebrated after plans were announced to withdraw an order of martial law, in Seoul, South Korea, today. Chang W. Lee/The New York Times South Korea's president imposed martial law, then lifted it President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea declared emergency martial law today in an unscheduled address to the nation. He accused his political opponents of plotting an "insurgency" and "trying to overthrow the free democracy." But six hours later, after the country's legislature unanimously voted to end it, Yoon rescinded the order. Here's the latest. It was the first time that a South Korean president had imposed martial law since a military dictatorship ended in the country in the late 1980s. Army Gen. Park An-su, who was appointed martial law commander, banned "all political activities," including political party activities and citizens' rallies, and labor activities. The backlash was swift. Thousands of protesters flooded the streets and gathered at the National Assembly in the middle of the night, chanting "End Martial Law!" The announcement came as a shock to many around the world. For years, South Korea has been known as a model of cultural soft power and an Asian democratic stalwart. Yoon, who was elected president in 2022, has been in a near-constant political standoff with the opposition, which controls Parliament. He characterized his decision to impose martial law as an act "of national resolve against the anti-state forces that are trying to paralyze the essential functions of the state." But dissent quickly emerged within his own political party. Within hours, Yoon, who is deeply unpopular, convened his cabinet, which agreed to end martial law. For more: Here's what to know about the bitter fight between Yoon and his political adversaries. President Joe Biden delivered remarks on his economic policies in Belen, New Mexico, last year. Kenny Holston/The New York Times Biden is hoping Republicans will help him preserve his triumphs Donald Trump has promised to begin unraveling President Biden's policies as soon as he takes office in January. That could include the Inflation Reduction Act, the president's signature legislation. But Biden is hoping to prevent that by appealing to Republican lawmakers. The president and his aides have tried to emphasize that the law overwhelmingly benefits Republican districts, in the hopes that Trump would face blowback from his own party if he repealed it. Some Republicans are joining the effort: In Georgia, local officials said they were worried that reversing the act could take away newly created factory jobs. In other politics news: The Justice Department's apolitical tradition is being challenged from opposite ends of the political spectrum. Trump's threat to block a Japanese company's proposed acquisition of U.S. Steel may doom the deal. Trump's transition team belatedly signed an agreement that will allow the F.B.I. to conduct background checks on nominees. A Republican senator dropped his objection to the promotion of a military officer who oversaw the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. He's now a four-star general. Trump will have extraordinary control over climate policy. Here's why. A rare earth mineral mine in Inner Mongolia, China, in 2011. China Network/Reuters China banned rare mineral exports to the U.S. China said that it would begin banning the export of several rare minerals to the U.S., an escalation of the tech war between the world's two biggest powers. The materials — including gallium, germanium, antimony and so-called superhard minerals — are used to make products like armor-piercing bullets, fiber optics and semiconductors. The ban, which came a day after the U.S. tightened Chinese access to advanced American technology, signals Beijing's willingness to engage in supply chain warfare. China generally refrained from clamping down on its own exports during the first Trump administration. Chantal Jahchan Inside the Supreme Court ethics debate Just over a year ago, all nine justices on the Supreme Court signed the court's first-ever ethics code. But my colleagues found that behind the scenes, the court had divided over whether the justices' new rules could — or should — ever be enforced. Justice Neil Gorsuch was especially vocal in opposing any enforcement mechanism beyond voluntary compliance, arguing that it could undermine the court. The three liberal justices insisted that the rules needed to be more than promises, but their argument never had a chance. More top news Angola: President Biden became the first American leader to visit the country. In a speech, he focused on the ugly legacy of slavery that long defined U.S.-Africa relations. Syria: Scenes from the bloodiest days of the civil war are now repeating themselves, as the U.N. warned of a rapidly worsening humanitarian situation. Olympics: The World Anti-Doping Agency's investigative unit highlighted intelligence about Chinese athletes possibly doping, but were kept out of the loop when swimmers tested positive. Weather: Cold conditions are likely to continue in the Northeast and Midwest. Here's the forecast. Labor: The Biden administration moved to end a program that allows companies to pay workers with disabilities less than the minimum wage. Russia: Yale researchers found that President Vladimir Putin "intentionally and directly" authorized a program of coerced fostering and adoption of Ukrainian children. China: John Leung, who was freed by Beijing in a rare prisoner swap, was an unlikely spy: a small-town Oklahoma restaurateur and an F.B.I. informant. Health: Black Americans experience schizophrenia and related disorders at twice the rate of white Americans. Racism may play a role. TIME TO UNWIND The New York Times The 10 best books of 2024 The staff of The New York Times Book Review spent nearly all of 2024 debating the year's most exceptional books. Ultimately, they narrowed down thousands of titles into a list of the very best — those that made lasting impressions. Today, the Book Review released its list of the 10 best books of 2024, five fiction and five nonfiction. My favorite is "The Wide Wide Sea," the story of Captain James Cook's final voyage. Eric Helgas for The New York Times Are you always tired? A reader wrote in to our Well desk and asked about still feeling tired after a full night of sleep. So we asked experts for some help. Chronic exhaustion is pretty common, they said, but it's also quite treatable. Experts suggested monitoring your sleep routine, which might just need a few tweaks. But certain health conditions or medications could also be to blame. Victor Llorente for The New York Times Dinner table topics Quick gift: Retail giants like Amazon and Walmart are in an all-out race to expand same-day shipping. Here's what it takes. Tycoon or tradwife?: One woman's picture-perfect life as a Mormon farm wife has made her both a social media star and a cultural lightning rod. Memorable looks: Rihanna stole the show at Britain's Fashion Awards. Gladiator for a night: A new program will allow dozens of people to learn how to fight in the sands of the Colosseum. Many Romans are unhappy about it. WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Julia Gartland for The New York Times Cook: This holiday rocky road uses gum drops and salted nuts. Watch: Stream these movies and TV shows before they leave Netflix this month. Listen: This is the classical music that our critics are thinking about. Decorate: An interior designer offered tips for holiday mantels. Rethink: Take the middle seat on an airplane. Plan: Consider these sunny, easy-to-reach places to lift your spirits. Shop: Wirecutter picked out the 37 best white elephant gifts under $25. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here. ONE LAST THING Vincent Tullo for The New York Times The classic 'Nutcracker' tune was once revolutionary Even if you've never seen "The Nutcracker," Tchaikovsky's fantastical Christmas ballet, you've almost certainly heard its most famous tune. It's a glassy, bell-like melody that evokes water drops. And it's performed on a celesta. The music is so familiar, especially this time of year, that it's difficult to imagine when it was new. But in 1892, when the ballet was first performed, the celesta had just been invented, and its playful sound really did feel novel. You can hear its imprint on music for decades. Have a whimsical evening. Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew Philip Pacheco was our photo editor today. We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com. Writer: Matthew Cullen Editors: Carole Landry, Whet Moser, Justin Porter, Jonathan Wolfe Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for The Evening from The New York Times. To stop receiving The Evening, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. 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