Jakarta. Indonesia has urged its citizens in South Korea to stay away from Seoul’s domestic affairs amid its martial law debacle.

South Korea recently sent shockwaves around the world after its president Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law. This law grants military authorities temporary rule during emergencies. However, the martial law only lasted six hours after South Korean lawmakers rushed to vote against it. 

Indonesia has confirmed that all of its citizens living in South Korea are safe. Its nationals -- like most people in South Korea -- have also returned to their normal lives, according to Foreign Affairs Ministry’s director for citizen protection Judha Nugraha. But as the political drama unfolded, Judha reminded Indonesians there to refrain from mass gatherings.

“While things have returned to normal, Indonesians in South Korea need to remain cautious. Please stay away from riots and mass gatherings. Do not get involved in [South Korea’s] domestic politics,” Judha told a press briefing on Thursday.

According to Judha, the Indonesian Embassy in Seoul has prepared a contingency plan in case the situation suddenly goes bad. As of Sep. 2023, there are 55,991 Indonesians living in South Korea, the embassy data shows. Indonesia, however, does not feel the need to evacuate its citizens at the moment.

Jakarta also refused to comment on the martial law fiasco beyond its citizen protection.

“When it comes to the situation in South Korea, our main focus is to make sure that our citizens are safe. We are in no position to comment on South Korea’s internal dynamics,” the Foreign Ministry’s spokesman Roy Soemirat said.

When declaring the short-lived martial law, Yoon claimed that such measures were necessary to protect the country from pro-North Korean forces.  South Korea’s main opposition party has also urged Yoon to resign immediately or face impeachment in the aftermath of the martial law. The country’s national assembly will vote on his impeachment on Saturday.

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