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https://mnl168.net TORONTO, Dec. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sprott Focus Trust, Inc. (Nasdaq-FUND) (the “Fund” or “FUND”) has declared a quarterly distribution of $0.2161 per share on its Common Stock. The distribution, optionally payable in additional shares of Common Stock or in cash by specific stockholder election, is to be paid on December 30, 2024 to stockholders of record at the close of business on December 13, 2024 (ex-dividend on December 13, 2024). The price of shares issued for reinvestment will be determined on December 20, 2024. The Fund currently has adopted a Distribution Policy of paying quarterly distributions on its Common Stock. Distributions are being made at the annual rate of 6% of the rolling average of the prior four calendar quarter-end net asset values (“NAVs”), with the fourth quarter distribution being the greater of 1.50% of the rolling average or the minimum distribution required by IRS regulations. The policy, including the annual rate, is subject to change at the discretion of the Fund’s Board of Directors. The Fund’s estimated sources of the distribution to be paid on December 30, 2024 and for 2024 year-to-date are as follows: Estimated Allocations as of November 30, 2024 Estimated Allocations for 2024 through November 30, 2024 You should not draw any conclusions about the Fund’s investment performance from the amount of the current distribution or from the terms of the Fund’s Distribution Policy. The amounts and sources of distributions reported herein are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund’s investment experience during the remainder of its fiscal year and may be subject to changes based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes. Fund Performance and Distribution Rate Information 1 Average Annual Total Return in relation to NAV represents the compound average of the Annual NAV Total Returns of the Fund for the five year period ended November 30 , 2024 . Annual NAV Total Return is the percentage change in the Fund’s NAV over a year, assuming reinvestment of distributions paid. 2 The A nnualized Current Distribution Rate is the current fiscal period’s distribution rate annualized as a percentage of the Fund’s NAV as of November 30 , 2024 . 3 Cumulative Total Return is the percentage change in the Fund’s NAV from December 31, 202 3 to November 30 , 2024 , assuming reinvestment of distributions paid. 4 The Cumulative Fiscal Year Distribution Rate is the dollar value of distributions for the fiscal year period (January 1, 202 4 to November 30 , 2024 ), as a percentage of the Fund’s NAV as of November 30 , 2024 . About Sprott Focus Trust, Inc. Sprott Focus Trust, Inc. is a closed-end diversified management investment company whose shares of Common Stock are listed and traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. The Fund’s investment goal is long-term capital growth, which it seeks by normally investing at least 65% of its assets in equity securities. For further information on the Fund, please visit our web site at: www.sprottfocustrust.com . An investor should consider investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. The Fund is a closed-end fund and closed-end funds do not continuously issue shares for sale as open-end mutual funds do. The Fund trades in the secondary market. Investors wishing to buy or sell shares need to place orders through an intermediary or broker. Suite 230 | 320 Post Road | Darien, Connecticut | USA 06820 | (203) 636-0977 | www.sprott.com Contact: Glen Williams (416) 943-4394

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SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks were struggling a week ago, coming off their bye having lost five of their last six games. That included a gut-punch overtime defeat at home against the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 3. The outlook for the last-place Seahawks (5-5) was beginning to look grim. They suddenly have renewed optimism this week after an uplifting victory over the San Francisco 49ers that snapped a six-game losing streak against their arch-rival that dated to 2021. Seattle will play the first-place Arizona Cardinals (6-4) on Sunday for a share of the NFC West lead. How quickly things change in the NFL. “We’ve earned the opportunity to be fighting for the lead in the division going into the home stretch,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. “So that’s the way we’re treating it. It’s very much like a playoff mindset for us at this point.” The win over the 49ers, which was capped by a 13-yard touchdown run by quarterback Geno Smith with 18 seconds left, put the Seahawks in a much better place mentally than they’d been in over the previous six weeks. They're hoping it's just the start of something even bigger. “It can just spark something that you’ve been looking for this whole year,” wide receiver DK Metcalf said. “I know we started off very hot with the first three games, but, you know, when adversity hit, it’s all about how you respond. I think we responded the right way, and it’s going to carry us throughout the rest of the season.” While the Seahawks are feeling better this week, the Cardinals have plenty of reason to feel optimistic, too. After starting the season 2-4, Arizona has won four straight to put itself in first place in the NFC West. The Cardinals have a defense that is making big strides under the leadership of veteran safety Budda Baker and a top-five running game behind the dual threat of running back James Conner, who has 697 yards rushing, and quarterback Kyler Murray, who seems to be hitting his stride in his sixth NFL season. Murray has 2,058 yards passing with 12 touchdowns, and has rushed for 371 yards and four scores. Second-year head coach Jonathan Gannon has been impressed with Murray’s improved decision-making as Murray has thrown just three interceptions through 10 games. “There’s times that he probably wants to try to thread it a little bit, but understands when to pick and choose his spots,” Gannon said. “I think he’s done a phenomenal job with that and there are a lot of times throughout the game where you could say we like to put it in the quarterback’s hands, and you trust him to make the right decision for that point in the game.” Reunited Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba will see a familiar face on the other sideline Sunday in rookie Marvin Harrison Jr., who was Smith-Njigba’s college teammate at Ohio State in 2021 and 2022. The pair each caught three touchdowns in the Buckeyes’ wild win over Utah in the 2022 Rose Bowl, with Smith-Njigba having 347 yards receiving on what was a 573-passing yard day for C.J. Stroud, now the quarterback of the Houston Texans. “Late his freshman year, he really just stood out,” Smith-Njigba said of Harrison. “You could just see the growth and kind of who he is becoming. ... He’s passed a lot of people’s expectations, of course, but I knew he was going to be elite later on freshman year.” MVP-level Murray Murray is coming off one of the best games of his career after completing 22 of 24 passes for 266 yards and a touchdown against the Jets two weeks ago. He also ran for 21 yards and two TDs. Murray currently ranks No. 3 in the NFL in quarterback rating behind Cincinnati's Joe Burrow and Baltimore's Lamar Jackson. That has put him in the MVP conversation, particularly since Arizona has won four straight games. “I don’t play the game for the validation of others," Murray said. "But as a player, of course, sometimes the recognition and the words being said feel good. But it doesn’t satisfy me.” Defensive improvement The most surprising part of Arizona’s four-game winning streak is the rapid improvement of the defense, which has allowed just 9 and 6 points, respectively, over the past two games. No touchdowns have been allowed – just five field goals. It’s just the second time over the past 30 years that the franchise has allowed 10 points or less over back-to-back games. Baker, a Bellevue native and former University of Washington football star, is the unquestioned leader of the bunch – he already has 100 tackles over 10 games - but the team also has a strong core of linebackers in Kyzir White, Mack Wilson and Zaven Collins. Metcalf and Baker have gone up against each other many times before, most famously when Metcalf ran Baker down on an interception return in 2020. “You really can’t prepare for a guy like that because his engine never stops,” Metcalf said. “He’s always going to be around the ball. He’s always going to affect the game with just his play effort and play style. ... Just got to try to minimize his playmaking ability as much as we can on offense.” ___ AP Sports Writer David Brandt in Phoenix, Arizona, contributed to this report. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Shane Lantz, The Associated PressKeeping pace with Hollywood’s perpetual awards horserace. Sign up for the newsletter here . Whether you call it “Glicked” or “Wickiator” (or even Justin Chang ’s preferred “Wadiator,” which sounds to me like a lot of hot air), this weekend’s simultaneous arrival of Gladiator II and Wicked feels like the closest thing we’ve seen to a true heir of “ Barbenheimer .” The comparison is inevitable — two huge films releasing on the same day, one girl-coded and one boy-coded — and perfectly reasonable, as long as you abandon any assumption that they will match or surpass the “Barbenheimer” phenomenon . These films can be very, very successful without beating their predecessors’ combined $235 million opening weekend. (Or, it must be said, their level of quality.) The same goes at the Oscars, where Barbie and Oppenheimer were the defining event of the 2024 awards season. The duo combined for 21 nominations and eight wins, including a Best Picture prize for Oppie . No matter how well they perform, Wicked and Gladiator probably aren’t coming close to that tally. That’s okay! Now that expectations have been set, let’s focus on the optimistic case. Putting aside the comparison to last season’s two-headed colossus, how well can “Wickiator” do this awards season? Both are arriving at precisely the right time. In this strike-marred season, consensus had it that the fall-festival crop was slightly weaker this year. Now, alongside Dune: Part Two , Wicked and Gladiator seem set to give the Oscars field a fresh dose of blockbuster oomph . Of the pair, Wicked ’s the one with stronger reviews and stronger box-office tracking , so that’s the one that’s making my Best Picture ten at the moment. But I wouldn’t be gobsmacked if Gladiator snuck in, as well: It’s an old-school masculine epic that could appeal to the Academy’s “meat and potatoes” voters, a bloc powerful enough to get films like Top Gun: Maverick and Ford v Ferrari into the Best Picture category in the past. Prospects are more mixed elsewhere above the line. The directors branch is notoriously snobby, which will be a tough row to hoe for Wicked ’s Jon M. Chu, who got his start directing films in the Step Up and G.I. Joe franchises. Gladiator II ’s Ridley Scott has some “overdue” equity — he’s never won an Oscar, not even when the first Gladiator won Best Picture — but Scott hasn’t been nominated for directing since Black Hawk Down , and this branch’s recent preference for highbrow auteurs suggests their tastes have moved on. Screenplay is a slightly better bet, as there are spots up for grabs in the Adapted race, where both Wicked and Gladiator are slotted. But at a combined run time of over five hours, some might suggest these movies should have featured more adaptation. Fortunately, both campaigns can count on a powerful supporting performance to bolster their bids. Denzel Washington has been almost unanimously acclaimed as the best part of Gladiator II . “You start to root for his relentless climb to the top,” Vulture’s Alison Willmore says of his turn as a political schemer who sports more rings than the human hand should be able to handle. Washington feels due more accolades; depending on how the race shakes out, he could even contend for the trophy that would mark his entry into Oscar’s three-timers’ club. Wicked ’s Ariana Grande feels less assured, if only because she’s more of an awards-season interloper than Washington. The pop star is awfully winning her first major film role — she had cameos in Zoolander 2 and Don’t Look Up — turning in a performance that, as our own Bilge Ebiri writes, “gives real comic shape to Glinda’s popular-girl frivolity.” With Wicked ’s Oscar buzz growing by the day, more pundits expect Grande to get in than not. Things are also looking up for Grande’s onscreen frenemy, Cynthia Erivo. “Erivo can hit the notes no problem, but it’s the work she does in close-up” that seals the deal for Variety ’s Peter Debruge : Her “subtler approach invites audiences under the character’s (green-tinted) skin.” Erivo’s arrival means an already stacked Best Actress race just got even tougher. I can’t say the same for Gladiator II ’s Paul Mescal, whose middling notices indicate he may not factor into a relatively weak Best Actor field. While the two movies will steer clear of each other in the acting races, it’s in the craft categories where they’ll truly go head-to-head. Here, too, Wicked looks to have the advantage, as it should benefit from the below-the-line races’ own form of gender essentialism. The musical looks to be the early frontrunner in female-friendly categories like Costume Design and Production Design. (Depending how bullish you are on The Substance , maybe Makeup & Hairstyling, too.) Gladiator II could compete there, too, but its best chance at gold will come in male-coded races like Sound and Visual Effects, where it’s up against Dune: Part Two . As for whether either of these films can follow Oppenheimer ’s path to Oscar glory, a part two or a part one hasn’t won Best Picture since the Godfather films back in the ’70s. So were that to happen, it would certainly be defying pundits’ expectations as well as gravity. Every week between now and January 17, when the nominations for the Academy Awards are announced, Vulture will consult its crystal ball to determine the changing fortunes in this year’s Oscar race. In our “Oscar Futures” column, we’ll let you in on insider gossip, parse brand-new developments, and track industry buzz to figure out who’s up, who’s down, and who’s currently leading the race for a coveted Oscar nomination. Something is happening here, and I do know what it is. While official reviews of James Mangold’s Bob Dylan biopic are still embargoed, I can tell you that the movie is better than anxious Dylanites may have expected. (If they can get past the fact it’s a very normal film about an abnormal man.) The film’s title isn’t just obeying the rule that says biopics must be named after an album or a famous lyric: To its credit, A Complete Unknown doesn’t try to solve or explain this most elusive of artists. Of course, it helps that Mangold can simply cut to a musical number whenever he wants. The same way Wicked benefits greatly from ending with “Defying Gravity,” this is a film with the equivalent of a dozen “Defying Gravity”s. Before Wicked ’s review embargo lifted, I would often encounter online cynics convinced the movie’s positive buzz was an act of corporate gaslighting by Universal. Not so! Reviews went up this week, and they’re almost as positive as the first wave of influencer reactions. Wicked superfan Richard Lawson says the film “does justice to the spirit of the stage musical, balancing its silliness with its pathos, its magical flights of fancy with its more grounded entreaties about tolerance and decency.” With Wicked on track for a $130-million-plus opening , a Best Picture field that was skewing arthouse looks to have added one more blockbuster to the mix. Anora , The Brutalist , Conclave , Dune: Part Two , Emilia Pérez , Nickel Boys , A Real Pain , September 5 , Sing Sing , Wicked Though Mangold has never been nominated for his direction, he’s steered a number of actors to Oscars recognition, including two winners in Angelina Jolie and Reese Witherspoon. His work on A Complete Unknown is in line with previous efforts: solid, proficient filmmaking that doesn’t draw attention to itself. If he couldn’t get nom’d for Ford v Ferrari , I can’t see Mangold getting in this year. However, I suspect that come March, one of his actors will have snuck inside the Dolby with the Mangold nom again. “Anybody expecting Chu to breathe life into Oz the way Peter Jackson did with Middle-earth in his Lord of the Rings epics will surely be disappointed,” writes our own Bilge Ebiri . But “when Chu does sink his teeth into the numbers, something wonderful can emerge.” If only the Globes had a separate category for Musical/Comedy directors, too. Jacques Audiard, Emilia Pérez ; Sean Baker, Anora ; Edward Berger, Conclave ; Brady Corbet, The Brutalist ; Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two Slay, Timmy, slay. Chalamet had years to prepare to play Dylan — the project was originally announced in early 2020 — and he put the long delay to good use. At first it’s jarring to hear That Voice come out of That Face, but once you get accustomed to it, it’s hard not to be impressed by the way he immerses himself in the part, laying bare the petulance that lurks underneath Dylan’s genius. I’ve been looking for someone to take the fifth spot in Best Actor. Knowing the Academy’s affinity for music biopics, it may be him, babe. The consensus from those who attended last weekend’s Governors Awards was that Grant brought down the house with a zingy speech introducing honorary Oscar winner Richard Curtis. (“ Would we call it an Oscar?”) He’d probably need to have given Lincoln’s Second Inaugural to have a sniff at getting the Academy to consider his A24 horror film, but maybe there were some Independent Spirit Awards voters in attendance? Adrien Brody, The Brutalist ; Timothée Chalamet, A Complete Unknown ; Daniel Craig, Queer ; Colman Domingo, Sing Sing ; Ralph Fiennes, Conclave No one fared better from the end of the Wicked embargo than Cynthia Erivo. While pundits and influencers gravitated toward the glitter of Grande, actual film critics are drawn to Erivo’s emotional depth. “She is the film’s Rushmore: charismatic, haughty, and vulnerable,” says Peter Bradshaw . “Her face exerts a planetary pull on everything else onscreen and an impossible thing to look away from.” It’s almost as if, without words we communicate with our eyes . A box-office tidbit courtesy of my colleague Joe Reid : Sony Pictures Classics put The Outrun back in nearly 150 screens, hoping to take advantage of the pre-”Wickiator” lull. Even that couldn’t get the Orkney addiction drama to crack the $1 million mark. Can Ronan’s candidacy, er, outpace her film’s underperformance? Cynthia Erivo, Wicked ; Karla Sofía Gascón, Emilia Pérez ; Angelina Jolie, Maria ; Nicole Kidman, Babygirl ; Mikey Madison, Anora Jackson starred in the original 1987 production of The Piano Lesson , then returned to the play for its 2022 Broadway revival. (Most of whose cast reprises their roles for the film.) Before the season began, everything appeared to be lining up for the veteran to receive his first nomination since Pulp Fiction . But the process of adapting stage to screen robs Jackson’s character of his big moment, our Bilge Ebiri writes: “Presented with intercutting flashbacks, the gist of his story doesn’t lose its power, but the words somehow do. It becomes less about the man telling the story and more about the story itself.” As the movie hits Netflix this weekend, buzz has been dwindling. Norton has a reputation for being somewhat prickly, but the part of Pete Seeger unlocks the actor’s inner dork, which he lets fly for the first time since Moonrise Kingdom . Folkies may quibble with the film’s depiction of Seeger — he symbolizes the hidebound scene disrupted by Dylan — and I don’t know if there’s enough heft here for a nom. But as a human Kermit the Frog, he’s a gee-golly delight. Kieran Culkin, A Real Pain ; Clarence Maclin, Sing Sing ; Guy Pearce, The Brutalist ; Stanley Tucci, Conclave ; Denzel Washington, Gladiator II A newcomer to the cast (she takes over from Broadway’s Danielle Brooks), Deadwyler gives the standout performance in a film that’s been rejiggered to privilege her character’s perspective. “Deadwyler’s electricity powers both her sensual sighs and the defiant speeches she makes,” says Robert Daniels , who proclaims her the film’s “heart and soul.” As with Zoe Saldaña in Emilia Pérez , she’s arguably a co-lead. Still, I think this placement makes sense, since the film is an ensemble piece in which each character takes a turn in the spotlight. After her snub for Till we should never take a Deadwyler nom for granted, but this emphatic work deserves to make the Oscar five. The Dylan biopic has a love triangle in which both women are the Betty. As a fictionalized stand-in for an early Dylan girlfriend, Elle Fanning plays a continuation of her Ginger & Rosa role, a socially conscious, easily wounded activist. But I was most struck by Barbaro, who nails not just Joan Baez’s moral backbone but also her bright, clear soprano. (Full disclosure: She, Chalamet, and I took lessons with the same vocal coach.) A Complete Unknown may share the Anora problem of having two supporting performances that crowd each other out, awards-wise. Nevertheless, for an actress I only know from Top Gun: Maverick , this is a real breakout moment. Danielle Deadwyler, The Piano Lesson ; Ariana Grande, Wicked ; Felicity Jones, The Brutalist ; Saoirse Ronan, Blitz ; Zoe Saldaña, Emilia Pérez

Conductor Grace Clinton shows England’s B side deserve to be heardThe film is currently being shot in various coastal locations, with several artists playing key roles. According to reports, 20 junior artists were traveling in the bus at the time of the accident. The film, produced by Vijay Kiragandur under Hombale Films, is a prequel to the highly successful Kantara. Rishab Shetty not only directs but also plays the lead role in this much-awaited project. New Delhi: A bus carrying junior artists from the film Kantara: Chapter 1, directed and starring Rishab Shetty, met with a tragic accident near Jadkaal, close to Kollur in Karnataka. The mini-bus, which was taking the artists to the shooting location, flipped over, injuring several people. The incident took place when the crew was traveling from Mudoor after completing the shoot, heading towards Kollur. The accident resulted in six people sustaining serious injuries, and they have been admitted to the hospital for treatment. The film is currently being shot in various coastal locations, with several artists playing key roles. According to reports, 20 junior artists were traveling in the bus at the time of the accident. The film, produced by Vijay Kiragandur under Hombale Films, is a prequel to the highly successful Kantara. Rishab Shetty not only directs but also plays the lead role in this much-awaited project. Kantara: Chapter 1 is scheduled to hit theaters on October 2, 2025 The incident has caused distress among the film’s crew, as they were looking forward to completing another important shoot. The health update of the injured individuals is still awaited, and the team is hopeful for their speedy recovery. Rishab Shetty had recently shared the release date of Kantara: Chapter 1, which is scheduled to hit theaters on October 2, 2025. The first film in the series, Kantara, garnered immense popularity and earned Shetty a National Award for his portrayal of a character deeply involved in the practice of local deity worship. His performance and the film’s success led to widespread recognition across India, raising high expectations for the prequel. Click for more latest Kannada news . Also get top headlines and latest news from India and around the world at News9. Prabhakar Jha is currently working as Chief Copy Editor at News9 Digital. He has over eight years of experience in this field. He has a keen interest in politics and world affairs.SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The president of South Korea early Wednesday lifted the martial law he imposed on the country hours earlier, bending to political pressure after a tense night in which troops surrounded parliament and lawmakers voted to reject military rule. President Yoon Suk Yeol, who appeared likely to be impeached over his actions, imposed martial law late Tuesday out of frustration with the opposition, vowing to eliminate “anti-state” forces as he struggles against opponents who control parliament and that he accuses of sympathizing with communist North Korea. Police and military personnel were seen leaving the grounds of parliament following the bipartisan vote to overrule the president, and the declaration was formally lifted around 4:30 a.m. during a Cabinet meeting. Parliament acted swiftly after martial law was imposed, with National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik declaring that the law was “invalid” and that lawmakers would “protect democracy with the people.” In all, martial law was in effect for about six hours. The president’s surprising move harkened back to an era of authoritarian leaders that the country has not seen since the 1980s, and it was immediately denounced by the opposition and the leader of Yoon’s own conservative party. Lee Jae-myung , leader of the liberal Democratic Party, which holds the majority in the 300-seat parliament, said the party’s lawmakers would remain in the Assembly’s main hall until Yoon formally lifted his order. Woo applauded how troops quickly left the Assembly after the vote. “Even with our unfortunate memories of military coups, our citizens have surely observed the events of today and saw the maturity of our military,” Woo said. While announcing his plan to lift martial law, Yoon continued to criticize parliament’s attempts to impeach key government officials and senior prosecutors. He said lawmakers had engaged in “unscrupulous acts of legislative and budgetary manipulation that are paralyzing the functions of the state.” Jo Seung-lae, a Democratic lawmaker, claimed that security camera footage following Yoon’s declaration showed that troops moved in a way that suggested they were trying to arrest Lee, Woo and even Han Dong-hoon, the leader of Yoon’s People Power Party. Officials from Yoon’s office and the Defense Ministry did not respond to requests for comment early Wednesday. Seemingly hundreds of protesters gathered in front of the Assembly, waving banners and calling for Yoon’s impeachment. Some protesters scuffled with troops ahead of the lawmakers’ vote, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or major property damage. At least one window was broken as troops attempted to enter the Assembly building. One woman tried unsuccessfully to pull a rifle away from one of the soldiers, while shouting “Aren’t you embarrassed?” Under South Korea’s constitution, the president can declare martial law during “wartime, war-like situations or other comparable national emergency states” that require the use of military force to maintain peace and order. It was questionable whether South Korea is currently in such a state. When martial law is declared, “special measures” can be employed to restrict freedom of press, freedom of assembly and other rights, as well as the power of courts. The constitution also states that the president must oblige when the National Assembly demands the lifting of martial law with a majority vote. Following Yoon’s announcement of martial law, South Korea’s military proclaimed that parliament and other political gatherings that could cause “social confusion” would be suspended, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said. The military said anyone who violated the decree could be arrested without a warrant. In Washington, the White House said the U.S. was “seriously concerned” by the events in Seoul. A spokesperson for the National Security Council said President Joe Biden’s administration was not notified in advance of the martial law announcement and was in contact with the South Korean government. Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said there was no effect on the more than 27,000 U.S. service members based in South Korea. The South Korean military also said that the country’s striking doctors should return to work within 48 hours, Yonhap said. Thousands of doctors have been striking for months over government plans to expand the number of students at medical schools. Soon after martial law was declared, the parliament speaker called on his YouTube channel for all lawmakers to gather at the National Assembly. He urged military and law enforcement personnel to “remain calm and hold their positions. All 190 lawmakers who participated in the vote supported the lifting of martial law. At one point, television footage showed police officers blocking the entrance of the National Assembly and helmeted soldiers carrying rifles in front of the building. An Associated Press photographer saw at least three helicopters, likely from the military, that landed inside the Assembly grounds, while two or three helicopters circled above the site. The leader of Yoon’s conservative party called the decision to impose martial law “wrong.” Lee, who narrowly lost to Yoon in the 2022 presidential election, said Yoon’s announcement was “illegal and unconstitutional.” Yoon said during a televised speech that martial law would help “rebuild and protect” the country from “falling into the depths of national ruin.” He said he would “eradicate pro-North Korean forces and protect the constitutional democratic order.” “I will eliminate anti-state forces as quickly as possible and normalize the country,” he said, while asking the people to believe in him and tolerate “some inconveniences.” Yoon — whose approval rating dipped in recent months — has struggled to push his agenda against an opposition-controlled parliament since taking office in 2022. His party has been locked in an impasse with the liberal opposition over next year’s budget bill. The opposition has also attempted to impeach three top prosecutors, including the chief of the central Seoul prosecutors’ office, in what the conservatives have called a vendetta against their criminal investigations of Lee, who has been seen as the favorite for the next presidential election in 2027 in opinion polls. During his televised announcement, Yoon also described the opposition as “shameless pro-North Korean anti-state forces who are plundering the freedom and happiness of our citizens.” He did not elaborate. Yoon has taken a hard line on North Korea over its nuclear ambitions, departing from the policies of his liberal predecessor, Moon Jae-in, who pursued inter-Korean engagement. Yoon has also dismissed calls for independent investigations into scandals involving his wife and top officials, drawing quick, strong rebukes from his political rivals. Yoon’s move was the first declaration of martial law since the country’s democratization in 1987. The country’s last previous martial law was in October 1979, following the assassination of former military dictator Park Chung-hee. Sydney Seiler, Korean chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, argued that the move was symbolic for Yoon to express his frustration with the opposition-controlled parliament. “He has nothing to lose,” said Seiler, comparing Yoon’s move to the Hail Mary pass in American football, with a slim chance of success. Now Yoon faces likely impeachment, a scenario that was also possible before he made the bold move, Seiler said. Natalia Slavney, research analyst at the Stimson Center’s 38 North website that focuses on Korean affairs, said Yoon’s imposition of martial law was “a serious backslide of democracy" that followed a “worrying trend of abuse” since he took office in 2022. South Korea “has a robust history of political pluralism and is no stranger to mass protests and swift impeachments,” Slavney said, citing the example of former President Park Geun-hye, the country’s first female president, who was ousted from office and imprisoned for bribery and other crimes in 2017 . Associated Press writers Hyung-jin Kim in Seoul, South Korea, and Matt Lee, Didi Tang and Tara Copp in Washington contributed to this report.