South Korean President Issues Martial Law, Faces Impeachment

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was inaugurated in May 2022. (Flickr)

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law on Dec. 3, accusing the opposition party of holding pro-North Korea sentiments and anti-state activities. The standoff lasted six hours before it was overturned by the General Assembly. 

According to Yoon, martial law, which surprised many, was placed to protect the nation from North Korea’s communist threat. “I am declaring a state of emergency in order to protect the constitutional order based on freedom and eradicate shameful pro-North Korea anti-state groups, that are stealing freedom and happiness of our people,” Yoon said. 

The Democratic Party which Yoon labels as the anti-state group, holds the majority in the National Assembly. Yoon has blamed the Party for political gridlock, “paralyzing the courts in the country by threatening the judges and impeaching prosecutors, and by attempting to remove the Interior Minister and the Defense Minister." However, the opposition leader and democratic party candidate Lee Jae-myung called it an “act of insurrection” and a “pro-military coup.” 

This marks the second enforcement of martial law since 1980, when military general Chun Doo-Hwan ordered the military to violently take down student protests happening in the city of Gwanju. Many citizens were shocked by a possible return to the past, with tens of thousands gathering to protest, calling for Yoon’s impeachment on the following Saturday. In order for the motion to pass, ⅔ majority or 200 votes are needed. A total of 195 votes were cast, with only 3 from Yoon’s People Power Party. The President on the morning before the motion apologized for his action which he argued “stemmed from urgency” as President but “caused anxiety and inconvenience to the public.” Yoon also promised not to declare another martial law while giving authority to his party to determine the duration of his term. The PPP’s leader Han Dong-hun claimed that the party’s stance against impeachment might change with “credible evidence” of Yoon’s attempt to arrest and detain political leaders in Gwacheon. “Considering the newly emerging facts, I believe that a swift suspension of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s duties is necessary to safeguard the Republic of Korea and its people,” Han said.

Hostility stands strong, with Lee vowing to impeach the president. The opposition parties could issue another impeachment motion on Dec. 11. “We will repeatedly float (the impeachment motion until it is passed in the Assembly),” Lee said. The political turmoil is influencing the nation’s diplomatic atmosphere, possibly severing Japan-Korean relations. The impeachment resolution states “Yoon has neglected geopolitical balance, antagonizing North Korea, China, and Russia, adhering to a bizarre Japan-centered foreign policy, triggering a crisis of war, abandoning his duty to protect national security and the people.” To some, this is a clear signal of what foreign policy would look like under the Democratic Party, which has been critical of Japan’s refusal to address South Korea’s concession on its colonial history. “If the opposition party grasps power, current Korea-Japan relations will go through a very rough time, as well as Korea-U.S. relations,” a former senior Korean official said. 

To combat the increasing tensions with North Korea, the issue regarding Yoon’s impeachment will play an important role in determining South Korea’s position in international affairs.