Most South Koreans could not believe what they were seeing on their small and big screens. Their President Yoon Suk Yeol announced a shock martial law decree in the late hours of Tuesday, December 3rd, only to roll it back less than six hours later. What happened in those six hours isn’t going to be forgotten soon, especially by young Koreans and those who believe in democracy.
Yoon’s already scandal-hit presidency and his political future are certainly hanging in the balance, with calls for his resignation coming from right, left, and center. It doesn’t help that the 300-member national assembly is opposition-heavy and his own party members are already distancing themselves. But who really is Yoon Suk Yeol?
The night that almost broke Seoul
In a televised address to the nation at 22:30 KST (2:30 pm West African Time) on December 3rd, President Yoon announced he was imposing martial law. With the symbolic blue drapes in the backdrop, he said the decree will help contain ‘anti-state’ actors and apparent sympathizers of Pyongyang. Even without giving evidence, he added that martial law will help ‘rebuild and protect’ the country from ‘
falling into ruin.’
For most citizens and politicians, however, the announcement felt like a throwback to the country's authoritarian past. They felt Yoon’s motive was wholly political instead of a bid to protect the country. Indeed, in his address, he said the opposition-dominated parliament behaved like a ‘den of criminals’ trying to ‘paralyze’ and disgrace the government.
As soon as the news broke, vehicles carrying armor-suited police arrived at the National Assembly where they created a barricade in front of the gate. Dozens of martial law soldiers also broke a window and made their way into the parliament’s main building. They were following orders of Park An-su, the Army Chief of Staff and Martial Law Commander, who had announced a stoppage of all political activities and protests.
Millions of South Koreans poured onto the streets and social media to air their frustrations. Many wondered why military rule is necessary at a time when multiparty democracy is doing ‘better than ever.’ Members of parliament, especially those from the opposition, didn’t hesitate to take action.
In spite of the heavy police and military presence, 190 MPs managed to enter and barricade themselves in the chambers of the National Assembly. Some had to climb over the 5-meter perimeter fence, while others crawled under the police barricades. By 1:00 am KST, the MPs had voted 190-0 to demand the lifting of the martial law that had been declared less than three hours earlier.
The president had no choice but to heed to the South Korean Constitution. President Yoon announced the lifting of martial law at 4:30 am KST, about six hours after imposing it. By this time, thousands of citizens had assembled in front of Parliament’s main gate with cheers of ‘Long live the Republic of Korea!.’ The martial law troops had already left the building.
Yoon’s declaration of martial law is the first attempt to impose military rule in South Korea since the early 1980s. In fact, martial law was last declared by Seoul in 1979, and it lasted for only three years.
Who is Yoon Suk Yeol?
To understand Yoon Suk Yeol is to understand a man who has always existed at the edges of South Korean politics. Born in Seoul in 1960, Yoon spent 27 years as a prosecutor before going into politics. His claim to political fame was leading the corruption investigation that brought down former President Park Geun-hye in 2016. This first made him a hero of transparency and anti-corruption in the eyes of citizens.
Yoon decided to run for the highest office in 2022 off the back of the highly storied conviction. However, he won the presidency by the narrowest margin – less than 1% of the vote - in South Korea’s presidential election history. He belongs to the right-wing People Power Party. He’s been married since 2012 to Kim Keon-hee, the scandal-hit first lady and CEO of Covana Contents.
Yoon’s political stance, policies, and presidency
Yoon leans conservative and, in 2022, rode on the back of Trump-like, right-wing policies to presidency. As a newcomer politician who served as a prosecutor for more than two and a half decades, it’s easy to understand his political stance. That’s especially true when it comes to issues like anti-feminism and gambling. For one, the country was facing identity issues along the gender divide during his campaign.
Under his regime, the government and the police have also created and enforced a raft of laws to stamp out the so-called hold’em pubs in a bid to stop gambling addiction. With problem gambling cases increasing threefold in South Korea in less than five years, Yoon has been interested in reforms that will tackle the issue, particularly among young Koreans. You can
visit this website to find out more about the topic of problem gambling.
That said, Yoon has also touted the so-called value-up corporate reforms in a bid to attract international investors and boost the ever-depressed stock market. His foreign policy has been largely friendly to Japan and hawkish toward Pyongyang.
Yoon's presidency has been one issue after another. His approval ratings have never gone beyond 20%. It doesn’t help that his wife has been at the center of multiple scandals, from allegations of accepting luxury to doing political favors.
His anti-feminist stance doesn’t help, either. At one point,
he pledged to abolish the ministry for gender equality, arguing that South Korean women do not face systemic discrimination.
What comes next for Yoon?
As of now, Yoon's political future hangs by a thread. Opposition parties have already tabled motions of impeachment against him. His own party leadership has distanced itself from him, with some members calling for his resignation as the president and withdrawal from the party. However you look at it, things don’t look good for Yoon.
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