south korea declares martial law

By Silas Miller

On December 3rd, 2024, President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea declared martial law, claiming that North Korean sympathizers had infiltrated the government, and such a drastic move was necessary to expel any threats. His troops blockaded the national assembly, and police were ordered to arrest many political dissidents. However, few in Seoul agreed with their president, as his actions that night seemed like an attempted coup. Citizens of the city flocked to the streets, surrounding the assembly and the soldiers guarding it. The troops put up roadblocks and fences to stop citizens and members of the assembly alike, but a combination of confusion, fear, and apathy caused the soldiers to disobey orders and allow government officials to enter the building. In just a matter of hours, a majority of assemblymen entered the building and voted to end the state of martial law (NY Times, AP, NBC, CNN, NPR).

With the end of martial law, the soldiers were not legally allowed to fulfill most orders assigned to them. Comically enough, the end of martial law broke the troops’ morale, and they abandoned the plan, causing the coup to come to an end (AP, NY Times, NBC, CBS).
Why did Yoon do this?
Yoon became the president of South Korea in 2022; however, his conservative party only won by a very slim margin. Even when he was first elected, he suffered from low approval ratings among South Koreans. The president’s government grew even weaker after a large portion of his party was voted out of the assembly in the 2024 elections. Such a state, where Yoon’s conservatives only had a minority in the assembly, meant that he was unable to pass any bills. Yoon spent the rest of 2024 vetoing bills from the South Korean democratic party, paralyzing the legislative branch (BBC, NY Times, NBC).

Besides a slow-moving government, the Yoon administration was also characterized by a number of scandals, most notably when the first lady, Kim Keon Hee, accepted a $2,250 handbag, when expensive gifts are illegal to give to politicians in South Korea. Other scandals, such as stock manipulation, put a sour taste in South Korean mouths (CNN).

Politicians across the country suspect the attempted coup was a result of such political failures backing Yoon into a corner. He read the writing on the wall: he wouldn’t be president of South Korea for long  (NY Times).
What has happened since?
Yoon was impeached during a second vote on the 14th of December; enough of his party defected for a ⅔ supermajority to be reached (BBC, The Guardian).

Following South Korea’s constitution, Yoon was removed from office, and the Constitutional Court (judicial branch) began a criminal investigation into Yoon and his accomplices. The trial began on December 27th, and the court has six months to decide whether Yoon will return to the presidency, be permanently removed, or even be sent to prison (Al Jazeera, BBC, NY Times).

On the new year, South Korea’s anti-corruption agency, also known as the CIO, was granted a warrant to arrest Yoon and bring him to trial. Such an act was much more difficult than previously thought. When the police descended on Yoon’s house, it was barricaded and surrounded by a mob of Yoon supporters, claiming the small CIO department had no authority to carry out such an important political act. After a long standoff, the officers withdrew. The CIO has not made another attempt to arrest Yoon, as the warrant expired on January 6th, forcing the corruption department to apply for an extension (BBC, Al Jazeera, NY Times, CNBC).

In Yoon’s place, the prime minister, Han Duck-soo took over as acting president. The South Korean prime minister’s role can be compared to that of the vice president in the United States, in that they are appointed by the president and don’t need to be elected by any outside body. However, in another ironic twist, Han Duck-soo was impeached in late December for his noncompliance with the National Assembly and his apologist attitude toward Yoon. So, in another major political shift, Choi Sang-mok, the former South Korean finance minister, assumed the role as the newest acting president. As neither of the acting presidents were chosen by election, Choi’s legitimacy raises questions both domestically and abroad (BBC, CNN, NBC,  NY Times, BBC, Al Jazeera).
How has the International Community Responded?
As a show of force, Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, launched a ballistic missile off the South Korean east coast. The spectacle purposely didn’t cause any damage, but it was terrifying for the surrounding nations (NY Times).

This event coincided with American Secretary of State Blinken’s visit to Seoul as part of a final round of conferences before he is replaced when Donald Trump comes to office. As Seoul was very cooperative with Washington under Yoon’s administration and he took a hard approach to North Korea, the US’s relationship to the disgraced president is complex. But, it is safe to say, the attempted coup is not a good look for the outgoing Biden administration (NY Times, CNBC, BBC).

Many of Yoon’s supporters have been hopeful the incoming Trump administration will be more sympathetic. However, many bureaucrats in Seoul fear Trump’s new tariffs, as they are likely to damage South Korea’s export-based economy (CNBC, NY Times, CNBC, Al Jazeera, BBC).

Please remember that the issue represented is a dynamic conflict, which changes frequently. The events reported are up-to-date and accurate as of January 7, 2025.