Next Steps for South Korea
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol must face the consequences after declaring martial law.
By Katelyn Livorse
On December 3, 2024, the world watched as South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law to “protect the constitutional democratic order.”
How Did We Get Here?
Elected in 2022 as a candidate of the Conservative People Power party, Yoon has struggled to advance his agenda due to the main opposition, the Democratic party, controlling Parliament. Yoon’s lack of popularity also hampers his policy success. In fact, he won the presidency by a mere .8 percent of the popular vote. Over the past few months political tensions in South Korea risen as the partisan deadlock over next year’s budget coincided with an investigation into the presumptive 2027 Democratic presidential nominee and a subsequent attempt by Democrats to impeach the Conservative prosecutors leading the charge.
Anti-State?
Yoon likely declared martial law to grant himself decisive power over the legislature under the guise of combatting “anti-state activities.”
Martial law was in place for approximately six hours before Parliament members present in the chamber unanimously voted 190-0 to reject it. Yoon lifted his declaration around 4:30 in the morning of December 4. Nevertheless, Yoon must now face the consequences of his actions. Actions that will likely spell the end of his political career and spoil any chance the Conservative People Power party had to win the next presidential election.
National Response
Although there is no guarantee of political defeat, President Yoon will almost certainly face impeachment, marking Parliament’s 23rd attempt to impeach him. Public opinion and Parliament’s response indicate that this impeachment attempt is likely to be successful.
Since Yoon declared martial law, protesters have flooded the streets, chanting slogans like “Arrest Yoon Suk Yeol” and calling for his resignation and investigation. Democratic party leaders and other opposition parties condemned the declaration. Han Dong-hoon, the leader of Yoon’s own political party, even declared that “I have come to the conclusion that it is necessary to suspend President Yoon from exercising his mandate to protect the South Korea and its people.”
A successful presidential impeachment requires 200 of the 300 members of parliament to vote in the affirmative. Given the unanimous 190-member marital law rejection vote, it is probable that Yoon will soon find himself impeached.
South Korea’s Future
The greatest question South Koreans are left with is: How do we move on from this?
The declaration of martial law is not unprecedented in South Korea, but it echoes a traumatic past. Last declared in 1980, martial law was used by the military dictator Chun Doo-hwan and led to the Gwanju massacre. Citizens are left to grapple with the state of their own government, fear their own military, and question their trust in the democratic system of Korea.
International Consequences
South Korea also faces international consequences for its political unrest. North Korea will undoubtedly use the political turmoil to continue its propaganda campaign against the South Korean government, increasing an already tense situation between the governments. Other countries, including the United States, have postponed diplomatic trips to South Korea and the UN has expressed serious concern over the situation in a democratic country.
Economically, South Koreans are also left to wonder what will happen. The day after Yoon’s marital law declaration, their stock market opened lower than it had closed on December 3 and South Korea’s currency, the won, saw its most devastating loss in value against the US dollar in over two years.
In this time of uncertainty, the South Korean people must grapple with the consequences of their President’s actions and the government’s breach of trust. Not only must President Yoon Suk Yeol face political consequences for his declaration of martial law, but the country he was supposed to lead must also bear the international burden of his actions.
The declaration of martial law was a slap in the face to democracy and President Yoon Suk Yeol must face the consequences of that follow.
About the Author
Katelyn Livorse is a marketing fellow at the Institute for Faith and Freedom and the editor-in-chief of Checkpoint News. A junior political science and French major, Katelyn is a style editor for the Grove City College Journal of Law and Public Policy and served as a contributing writer for The Collegian. She is also a member of the AEI Executive Council at Grove City College.
In the summer of 2024, Katelyn interned at The American Spectator as an editorial intern. There, she covered topics ranging from Iraqi politics to the 2024 American Presidential Election. She also interviewed figures in American politics, including Paul Haring who wrote the Hyde Amendment.
Katelyn has also worked as a translator for the Jews of the Somme Project. She worked to translate French documents written during the Nazi occupation of France detailing the persecution of the Jewish population. Upon graduation, she hopes to pursue a career in international relations.
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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed are those of the writer alone and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grove City College, the Institute for Faith and Freedom, or their affiliates
Cover Image: Police WIKI, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped) License