“The National Assembly [South Korea’s parliament], which should be the foundation of liberal democracy, has become a monster trying to destroy it” (Pres. Yoon’s address, Dec. 3, trans. by Sarah Chea). This was said on December 3, as President Yoon Suk-yeol of South Korea declared martial law in a televised address (N.B. South Korean names are traditionally written with the family name first, and given name second. Yoon Suk-Yeol’s proper title is President Yoon, never President Suk-Yeol). This martial law lasted only six hours, but it had profound consequences. South Korea was under a military dictatorship from 1961, after a coup led by General Park Chung-hee, until the democratic election of President Kim Dae-jung in 1997. This shadow of brutal military dictatorship contributed significantly to the outrage following President Yoon’s declaration. During this crisis, President Yoon had ordered Colonel Kim Hyun-tae to lead a special forces team to forcibly remove lawmakers, so they could not gather to repeal the declaration of martial law. The head of the National Police Agency, Cho Ji-ho, has also said that he was directed by the military to use the police to detain 15 people, including political leaders. Using the police to detain lawmakers not suspected of crimes is illegal, even under martial law.
After two and a half hours, all lawmakers that were present at the National Assembly (190 out of 300) voted unanimously to repeal martial law, which President Yoon accepted. The National Assembly voted to impeach President Yoon on December 14. Former President Yoon is being charged with insurrection, defined by criminal law of South Korea as “any attempt to ‘overthrow government organs established by the Constitution or to render the exercise of their functions impossible by force’” (New York Times). Prime Minister Han Duck-soo was announced as the acting President on December 14. However, he was impeached on December 27 after he refused to fill three vacancies in the Constitutional Court, the country’s highest court. The Constitutional Court will decide the fate of former President Yoon and requires six justices out of nine to vote in favor of impeachment. With the three vacancies, it would have been much easier for former President Yoon to be found not guilty. Opposition lawmakers said that the refusal of former President Han to fill these vacancies was a delay tactic, in addition to accusing him of working with former President Yoon during the declaration of martial law. The Minister of Finance, Choi Sang-mok, was named the acting president and acting prime minister on December 27.
Former President Yoon has refused multiple orders to appear for questioning, forcing a Seoul court to issue an arrest warrant. An attempt on January 3 to arrest former President Yoon led to a standoff between Korean Police forces and former President Yoon’s personal guards. He was formally arrested on January 18, and is currently being held in the Seoul Detention Center. Several presidential aides and cabinet ministers have resigned, with some being detained by the Corruption Investigation Office. Most notable among the detained is former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, who allegedly suggested the declaration of martial law. While in custody, Kim attempted to take his own life. Former President Yoon’s supporters breached the Seoul Western District Court, vandalizing the interior and chanting “cancel the warrant!” (New York Times). The police have detained dozens of protesters. The Constitutional Court will deliberate for up to six months on former President Yoon’s impeachment. If found guilty of insurrection, former President Yoon will face life in prison or the death penalty. This would also lead to the formal removal of former President Yoon, and elections for a new president within two months. The crisis comes at an inopportune time, due to the improved relationship between North Korea and Russia, the increased tensions between South Korea and North Korea, the re-entering of President-Elect Trump to the White House, the threat that his blanket tariffs would pose for the South Korean economy, and the struggles of governments all around the world, from Canada to Germany to France and now, to South Korea.
