North Korea media is calling South Korea a dictatorship after its short-lived martial law

• North Korea has called South Korea a 'fascistic dictatorship' after its short-lived martial law.
• South Korea has democratic elections, while Kim Jong Un exerts near-total control over North Korea.
• An article in North Korean state media also referred to South Korea's president as a "puppet."

North Korea has called South Korea a dictatorship after the latter's short-lived attempt at martial law.

Last week, South Korea's president, Yoon Suk-yeol, declared martial law in the country in a surprise announcement, citing the need to eliminate "anti-state" forces.

The unexpected decision was met with widespread protests, and hours later South Korea's parliament voted down the measure. Yoon's government quickly rescinded it.

In an article published by North Korea's state-run KCNA news agency on Wednesday, the situation in South Korea was characterized as "pandemonium."

It referred to Yoon as a "puppet" who proclaimed martial law "in a bid to escape from the worst ruling crisis."

Kim Jong Un exerts near-total control over North Korea's population, using extensive surveillance, state-run media, suppressing dissent, and offering no real choice in elections.

The article also criticized South Korea as a "fascist dictatorship," which it said was under the watch of the international community.

In reality, North Korea is widely regarded as a global pariah due to Kim's authoritarian governance, whereas South Korea is recognized as a democratic nation.

According to Freedom House's Freedom in the World rankings, South Korea scores 83 out of 100. In contrast, North Korea scores just 3 out of 100 and is designated "not free."

Martial law is no longer in place in South Korea, and Yoon is now under investigation for treason, with a travel ban preventing him from leaving the country.

But over the weekend an attempt to impeach Yoon narrowly failed after many lawmakers from his ruling People Power Party boycotted the vote. The main opposition party is expected to continue its impeachment efforts.

During the political chaos that rocked South Korea last week, there were concerns that North Korea might exploit the turmoil, using a moment of weakness to its advantage.

Business Insider reported that this could take the form of propaganda designed to erode trust in democracy in South Korea.