South Korea’s Political Turmoil: The Implications of President Yoon’s Martial Law Declaration
Seoul, South Korea, Image Courtesy of Unsplash
With the declaration of martial law by South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol, a new national crisis broke out in South Korea. On 3 December 2024, security forces in riot gear blocked access to parliament as large protests quickly erupted. The images are striking. The declaration only lasted a few hours because the opposition overturned Yoon's action, yet this brief implementation of martial law has serious consequences for the nation. It was a shock to democracy. And it shows how important positioning is.
Yoon Suk Yeol imposed martial law for the first time in almost 40 years. According to the constitution, the President of South Korea can declare martial law in ‘times of war, war-like situations or other comparable national emergencies’ that require the use of military force to maintain peace and order. Whether South Korea was in such a state on 3 December 2024 was already being questioned the night the law was enforced. Yoon justified his action by claiming it was done to protect democracy, accusing the opposition of sympathising with the hostile regime of North Korea, as well as paralysing the South Korean government through anti-state activities.
Now, it is known that Yoon was acting for domestic political reasons, and that he had allies who have since been investigated. Yoon's poll numbers have been dropping for months and he is struggling to push through his budget agenda. His Conservative Party, the PPP, is faltering in a parliament dominated by the democratic opposition. The declaration of martial law seemed to be more of a culmination of a long political dispute and the result of great frustration on Yoon's part.
The declaration of martial law hits a raw nerve for an entire nation. The central function of martial law is that significant powers are transferred to the military. This affects the judiciary system, restricts fundamental rights, and allows for expanded use of military forces. The restrictions on fundamental rights particularly affect freedom of the press, freedom of speech, and freedom of assembly; conditions reminiscent of life in a dictatorship.
The strength of the opposition, the Democratic Party (DP), became clear on the night of 3 December. Shortly after martial law was declared, the DP came together and was able to use the majority principle to repeal the law. In the 300-seat parliament, 190 representatives voted against Yoon's proclamation. Woo Won Shik, the chairman of the National Assembly, declared the invalidity of martial law and that the representatives would protect democracy together with the people. After the military's withdrawal, the cabinet also voted to lift the martial law proclamation. The law was repealed after nearly 6 hours. It was a memorable night with great consequences.
All trade unions, together with the opposition, demanded Yoon's immediate resignation. Furthermore, shortly after the brief declaration of martial law, an investigation was opened against Yoon on the grounds of unrest. The Democratic Party also accused Yoon of a clear violation of the constitution and tried to initiate impeachment proceedings against him, a decision which parliament can undertake independently. (This means that the president cannot object to or counteract the proceedings.) To carry this out, support must be obtained from two-thirds of the members of parliament and at least six judges of the constitutional court.
The first attempt to impeach Yoon Suk Yeol failed due to the lack of a two-thirds majority - the impeachment proceedings were almost boycotted in parliament. Nevertheless, a second attempt was initiated by the Democratic Party. During this time, Yoon was banned from leaving the country. He was also investigated for treason. Support for Yoon's declaration of martial law also led to the arrest of former Defence Minister Kim Yon Hyun. Shortly before the second vote, Yoon also continued to lose the support of his party, as the leader from the ruling party Han Dong Hoon reaffirmed his impeachment - in favour of the DP. On 14 December 2024, Parliament voted by 204 out of 300 MPs to initiate impeachment proceedings. Until the Constitutional Court confirms Yoon's impeachment or declares it unconstitutional, Prime Minister Han Duck Soo takes over.
After a long period of tension and many protests, the parliamentary event on 14 December was met with great joy and relief. Thousands of people cheered in the streets of Seoul.
Even though unrest still persists, this has been a defining moment in South Korea's history. Although the imposition of martial law only lasted a short time, the domestic political events after 3 December, as well as the repeated protests, show great reactions. These reactions are justified and necessary. The deep division of the country into conservatives and democrats became clear. But it also became clear that sustained mass protests in conjunction with the DP demonstrated strong cohesion for democracy. The events are a reminder of how fragile democracy is and how important a clear, vehement positioning is for its preservation.