crisis in korea. hours after imposing martial law and his country, the president backs down in

the face of protest. why did he do it in the first place? welcome to newsnight live, where we bring you insight and interviews. i want to bring you these pictures from tbilisi in georgia, where there has been a sixth night of protests. these are live pictures. thousands of demonstrators have gathered outside parliament protesting against the government's decision to suspend eu negotiations. these protests made me a little of those in kyivjust over a decade before before the revolution in

ukraine. but experts say the pro—russian government in georgia looks a lot more secure than its ukrainian counterpart a decade ago. but a big political crisis in georgia that has essentially pitted the country's pro—russia government against those across the country who wants to join the eu. your panel tonight, caroline lucas, the green party's first leader and who was their first ever mp, labour mp chris curtis, and dehenna davison who gave up being a conservative mp just before the election. later an interview with will ferrell about the road trip documentary he's made with his trans friend. we're going to start tonight with what's going on in south korea, a liberal, open democracy where the president

today took the country completely by surprise and in an extraordinary step declared martial law, which led to a heavy military presence on the streets. president yoon suk yeol president yoon suk yeol said it was to try said it was to try and protect his country and protect his country from communist forces from communist forces in north korea. in north korea. there were chaotic scenes there were chaotic scenes inside and outside inside and outside the parliament in seoul — the parliament in seoul — protestors on the outside demanded protestors on the outside demanded an end to martial law. an end to martial law. inside, assembly members voted inside, assembly members voted to block the decision to block the decision to impose martial law. to impose martial law. after hours of uncertainty, after hours of uncertainty, the president backed down and agreed the president backed down and agreed to lift restrictions. to lift restrictions. the bbc�*s jake kwon has been the bbc�*s jake kwon has been on the streets with demonstrators. on the streets with demonstrators. it's almost 4.00am here in seoul, it's almost 4.00am here in seoul, and i'm here in front and i'm here in front of the national assembly, of the national assembly, and the protesters are still and the protesters are still chanting, not showing chanting, not showing any signs of leaving. any signs of leaving. the police were trying to clear the police were trying to clear the road a little earlier, the road a little earlier, but they have retreated. but they have retreated. we've been speaking to some we've been speaking to some protesters asking them why protesters asking them why they're here today, and i think they're here today, and i think we can speak to one of them we can speak to one of them

happened, and they get low pretty quickly during a presidential term. he was below 20 and not doing well. he was below 20 and not doing well. he was below 20 and not doing well. he was also faced by huge opposition in parliament. it is one of those systems where you don't cohabit with a government on the other side like you do in france, a bit more similar to the us system where you get a government, or rather you get a legislature which is dominated by the opposition. he has a big opposition problem, and in his view, they were basically blocking other than he wanted to do. so a lot of frustration came out in the statement that he made announcing the declaration of martial law, and thatis the declaration of martial law, and that is when he came out with these really quite extraordinary statements, but it was all designed, he mentioned pro—north elements, he mentioned anti—state actions, and he equated the opposition activities with those things, and basically use that kind of language to dropped this bombshell about martial law. 50

was this bombshell about martial law. so was he actually genuinely saying there are north korean communist forces at work here, or was itjust equating opposition politicians to what north korean politicians think? he was doing both, i think. i think he may have intended to make the equation between the two. but he certainly said very clearly that the action he was taken was to defend the country against attack by communist forces in north korea, and to be frank, i think a lot of koreans will have listened to that and thought, for goodness' sake. they simply won't have bought it. i got a whatsapp message on my way here from a korean friend who is there right now, and he said, koreansjust won't there right now, and he said, koreans just won't tolerate what he called the regression to these outdated practices. and what he is referring to is the sort of use of north korea as the bogeyman. do this all the north koreans will come and get you. south koreans are not stupid, they do understand that north korea poses a threat, but i

think we have shown today that they are not to be had for this sort of scaremongering, and that they simply don't believe it. find scaremongering, and that they simply don't believe it.— don't believe it. and the president backs down _ don't believe it. and the president backs down on _ don't believe it. and the president backs down on the _ don't believe it. and the president backs down on the face _ don't believe it. and the president backs down on the face of - don't believe it. and the president backs down on the face of those . backs down on the face of those protests. what are the options for him now? i protests. what are the options for him now? ~ ., , protests. what are the options for him now? ~ ., , ,., ., , him now? i think he has some really oor him now? i think he has some really poor options — him now? i think he has some really poor options ahead _ him now? i think he has some really poor options ahead of _ him now? i think he has some really poor options ahead of him. - him now? i think he has some really poor options ahead of him. in - poor options ahead of him. in rescinding the martial law declaration, he looks as though he has already done quite a humiliating climb—down. that won't do his approval rating is much good, so it has not been a great day for him, but he will be very, very keen to hold on to office. he will put himself in a much deeper hole than he started with. he will still have the opposition in parliament, and one can only guess that they will be even more determined to make life extremely difficult for him in the days to come. extremely difficult for him in the days to come-— days to come. this instability, south korea _ days to come. this instability, south korea is _ days to come. this instability, south korea is an _ days to come. this instability, south korea is an hour, - days to come. this instability, south korea is an hour, there| days to come. this instability, i south korea is an hour, there are tens of thousands of american forces

based there — how much will this instability worry the west? based there - how much will this instability worry the west?- based there - how much will this instability worry the west? well, i think it is a _ instability worry the west? well, i think it is a potential— instability worry the west? well, i think it is a potential worry. - instability worry the west? well, i think it is a potential worry. what| think it is a potential worry. what we have not seen so far as actual instability. we have seen actually a situation which could have become quite a serious crisis. we have seen it so far dealt with in a way in which common sense and good sense has prevailed. we saw parliament step into action really quickly, and one wonders whether that was made easy for them. i don't know, but it is certainly clear that even some amongst the party and parliament that supports president yoon sein, we do not hear about this, this is a surprise to us, we don't even support it —— some amongst the party and parliament that supports president yoon saying we did not hear about this. i would be amazed if nobody, when he was explaining this, told him it would not work. but i think the speed with which

parliament got in, sat down on the seats and said, according to the constitution, we have the right to say you can't do this, and it did that. and i think that actually took a lot of tension out of the situation. it leaves the president with a big problem, buti situation. it leaves the president with a big problem, but i think for the moment, i think there's a good chance, to come back to your question about instability, i think there's a good chance that this is something that they can weather through without it becoming a larger instability. through without it becoming a larger instabili . ., ~ , ., through without it becoming a larger instabili . ., ~' , ., , . instability. thank you very much, simon smith. _ instability. thank you very much, simon smith. thank _ instability. thank you very much, simon smith. thank you - instability. thank you very much, simon smith. thank you for - instability. thank you very much, | simon smith. thank you for being with us. here, this thursday, the prime minister will make a speech setting out targets his government want to achieve on nhs waiting times, early years education, and improving living standards. the government's not calling it a reset yet after upset from pensioners over the decision to means test winter fuel, and angerfrom farmers and businesses over elements of the budget plus a cabinet resignation last week, some are suggesting that's exactly what it is. nick, what's the government's aim here? as you said, this is not a relaunch,

but i do have to say that there is chris shaking his head, of course it is not a relaunch, but a lot of labour mps are saying they would quite like a reboot, and chris will agree with this but, they think the government is doing some really big things. but it does seem to be on the back foot quite a bit. the garment has always said they want to move on from the five missions of the electoral period took more sort of tangible outcomes, so let's just remind ourselves what those five missions were. it was growing the economy, nhs fit for the future, safer streets, clean power by 2030, an opportunity for all. and the buzz phrase now as they want to move to measurable milestones. so specific targets on the nhs, but then on the economy, talking about increasing real household disposable income. not talking about abstract gdp, talking about the pound in your pocket, as harold wilson said. this

shows that morgan mcsweeney, the brains behind labour's election win, now the prime minister's chief of staff, is looking very carefully about why the democrats lost. 0n the lesson seems to be, don't talk in the abstract, talking tangible deliverables. d0 the abstract, talking tangible deliverables.— the abstract, talking tangible deliverables. , ., _, , deliverables. do you welcome this reset, relaunch, _ deliverables. do you welcome this reset, relaunch, reboot? - deliverables. do you welcome this reset, relaunch, reboot? we - deliverables. do you welcome this reset, relaunch, reboot? we havej reset, relaunch, reboot? we have sent a reset, relaunch, reboot? we have spent a lot— reset, relaunch, reboot? we have spent a lot of— reset, relaunch, reboot? we have spent a lot of time _ reset, relaunch, reboot? we have spent a lot of time talking - reset, relaunch, reboot? we have spent a lot of time talking about l spent a lot of time talking about these _ spent a lot of time talking about these missions, and it is important we do. _ these missions, and it is important we do. we — these missions, and it is important we do, we have a country that has been _ we do, we have a country that has been on _ we do, we have a country that has been on a — we do, we have a country that has been on a not particularly great trajectory— been on a not particularly great trajectory after 14 years of conservative austerity, and we need to have _ conservative austerity, and we need to have a _ conservative austerity, and we need to have a mission driven government in order_ to have a mission driven government in orderto turn to have a mission driven government in order to turn that around.- in order to turn that around. would ou in order to turn that around. would you acknowledge, _ in order to turn that around. would you acknowledge, chris _ in order to turn that around. would you acknowledge, chris carter - in order to turn that around. would you acknowledge, chris carter is, l you acknowledge, chris carter is, that what is coming on thursday is any kind of tacit acknowledgement that it has been bumpy in the last few months for the new government? —— chris curtis voters think that is great but we want to see some changes. great but we want to see some chances. ~ ., ., ._ ., great but we want to see some chanes. . ., ., ”i ., ,., ., changes. we want to lay out some of milestones that _

changes. we want to lay out some of milestones that people _ changes. we want to lay out some of milestones that people can - changes. we want to lay out some of milestones that people can track - changes. we want to lay out some of milestones that people can track us | milestones that people can track us against _ milestones that people can track us against over the coming years so we can prove _ against over the coming years so we can prove we — against over the coming years so we can prove we are making differences on the _ can prove we are making differences on the charities and people's lives, whether— on the charities and people's lives, whether it — on the charities and people's lives, whether it is in the nhs, waiting lists, _ whether it is in the nhs, waiting lists, or— whether it is in the nhs, waiting lists, orthe whether it is in the nhs, waiting lists, or the fact that people in this country have really not had a pay rise _ this country have really not had a pay rise over the last ten years. so it is putting — pay rise over the last ten years. so it is putting more money to people's pockets _ it is putting more money to people's pockets and making sure our public services _ pockets and making sure our public services work. and making sure that change _ services work. and making sure that change is _ services work. and making sure that change is felt in people's lives across— change is felt in people's lives across the country. as change is felt in people's lives across the country.— across the country. as a newly elected mp, — across the country. as a newly elected mp, has _ across the country. as a newly elected mp, has it _ across the country. as a newly elected mp, has it been - across the country. as a newly elected mp, has it been more| elected mp, has it been more difficult than you expected? i don't think anybody _ difficult than you expected? i don't think anybody in _ difficult than you expected? i don't think anybody in the _ difficult than you expected? i don't think anybody in the labour- think anybody in the labour party would _ think anybody in the labour party would say— think anybody in the labour party would say this has been as easy as we expected. we did not expect a £22 billion— we expected. we did not expect a £22 billion black hole in the economy. a fi-ure billion black hole in the economy. figure of the 0br does not endorse. we do not expect to be told the nhs would _ we do not expect to be told the nhs would be _ we do not expect to be told the nhs would be cutting by 10,000 a year, and we _ would be cutting by 10,000 a year, and we need to find the money to 'ust and we need to find the money to just take — and we need to find the money to just take it— and we need to find the money to just take it back to the status quo. so public— just take it back to the status quo. so public services are far more broken — so public services are far more broken than we expected, they are in a much _ broken than we expected, they are in a much worse place, public finances, than we _ a much worse place, public finances, than we expected, and it'll be a

tough _ than we expected, and it'll be a tough task to fix it, but it we will — tough task to fix it, but it we will. ., . will. you were elected in 2019, dehenna davison, _ will. you were elected in 2019, dehenna davison, people - will. you were elected in 2019, l dehenna davison, people talked will. you were elected in 2019, - dehenna davison, people talked about borisjohnson potentially being in power for ten years. as this bringing 1413 00:13:13,