On December 3, 2024, at 11:23 pm, President Yoon Suk-Yeol of South Korea made an emergency address where he declared martial law upon his respective nation. Martial law in South Korea is essentially where certain civilian rights are suppressed, such as freedom of the press and limiting the powers of the courts and government agencies, to favor a military-backed government to run the country in times of crisis. Yoon Suk-Yeol had made such a declaration to, what he claimed, protect the nation from “communist forces.” Military personnel then began to cut off access to South Korea’s National Assembly, South Korea’s parliament, where they tried to enter the premises only to be thwarted by the National Assembly’s staff and security. Fearing for democracy, many Koreans took to the streets to protest Yoon’s declaration where some were seen even confronting armed soldiers. Lawmakers and other government officials rushed to the National Assembly to reverse martial law, with some notably jumping over fences and other barriers just to get in. At 1:02 am, 190 of the legislators of the National Assembly voted unanimously to suspend martial law with 18 members of Yoon’s party, the People’s Power Party, voting against Yoon’s declaration.
To provide context for the situation that unfolded in South Korea, one must examine the country’s political history. Martial law is not something new to South Korea. Most notably in the 1980s, South Korea experienced a repressive regime under the control of Chun Doo-Hwan who had gained power from a military coup in 1980 and declared martial law. During this time, the center of protest was Gwangju, where labor activists, students, and opposition leaders called for democratic elections only to be met with the suppressive boots of soldiers. Hundreds of civilians were killed in the process of this suppression. However, their protests and the brutal retaliation they encountered were not in vain, as they inspired many other Koreans to protest as well, putting South Korea on the pathway to finally democratically electing its first president in 1993. These memories of military suppression certainly have not been forgotten during Yoon’s surprise address to the nation.
After the suspension of Yoon’s martial law, the National Assembly suspended Yoon from his presidential powers and impeached him after a second vote on December 14, 2024, with 12 members of Yoon’s party voting in favor of it. Han Duck-Soo would become acting president in place of Yoon, but on December 27, 2024, he was impeached due to the growing frustration of the opposition party because Han was making progress on the impeachment of his predecessor, in turn leading to Choi Sang-Mok taking his place.
South Korea is in an interesting situation at the moment, as while Yoon’s surprise martial law declaration deserves to be trialed, some fear that his removal from office will put South Korea in a vulnerable position. These concerns have in turn divided Koreans on the issue. However, despite South Korea’s authoritarian past, South Korea has demonstrated its ability to impeach its presidents. Notably in 2016, Park Geun-Hye was impeached on charges of corruption, and the Constitutional Court held up that decision leading to her removal from power in 2017. Yoon has not been removed from office as this decision now has to be upheld by the Constitutional Courts of South Korea, however, the verdict possibly may be released by the time this article is published, so make sure to look out for what hopefully is this issue’s conclusion.
