ROKS Yulgok Yi I (DDG-997, 7,600 tons) leads a formation of South Korean Navy ships and P-3 maritime patrol aircraft near Jeju Naval Base in Gangjeong-dong, Seogwipo City. The event took place, Oct. 11, 2018, during the second day of the 2018 Republic of Korea Navy International Fleet Review. Yonhap

The Navy has decided to postpone an international fleet review scheduled to take place in May to the second half, an official said Friday, amid political turmoil over detained President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law bid last month.

The Navy had previously planned to hold the event in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, in May to mark the 80th anniversaries of South Korea's liberation from Japanese 1910-45 colonial rule and the military branch's establishment.

"The fleet review was postponed to sometime in the second half of the year, considering various domestic circumstances," the Navy official told reporters. "The exact timing will continue to be reviewed."

The decision appears to reflect the recent political turmoil in South Korea stemming from impeached President Yoon's martial law declaration last month. The military has faced backlash over the brief episode, in which troops were deployed to the National Assembly.

The event, if held, will mark the first international fleet review hosted by the Navy since 2018.

The 2018 event drew attention as Japan decided not to participate amid a row over its plan to fly its Rising Sun ensign, which is castigated in Korea as a symbol of its imperialist past. (Yonhap)